Make no mistake… Poverty is Everybody’s Business!
This year, the North Carolina Community Action Association’s 2012 Annual Conference will lead the charge in the war against poverty, heralding the new Face to Face With Poverty initiative, which assigns North Carolina Community Action Agencies and key stakeholders the task of providing real solutions for real people in low-income communities.
According to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, North Carolina’s poverty rate spiked to 17.5 percent, surpassing the official national poverty level of 15.2 percent, ranking North Carolina as the 12th highest poverty state in the nation. In North Carolina alone, more than 1.6 million children, elderly, disabled and low-income individuals are impacted by poverty. That equates to 1 in 5 women, 1 in 4 children, 1 in 4 African Americans, and 1 in 3 Latinos who don’t have access to adequate housing, health care, education, employment or resources to enjoy a decent living. That is unacceptable, and our Face to Face With Poverty initiative will address the hard questions head-on and identify common-sense solutions. Those who have been impacted and silenced by poverty will be silent no longer.
This year’s conference will provide all levels of community action and nonprofit staff– newcomers to seasoned professionals—with strategies, tools, skills and best-practices to help families find solutions. Plenary sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities will foster collaboration and focus attention on the diverse faces of poverty in North Carolina, while promoting positive change in our communities.
Join us May 7-11, 2012, at the North Carolina Community Action Association Annual Conference. It’s time to come Face to Face With Poverty… because Poverty is Everybody’s Business.