There is good and bad news when it comes to the latest government figures on poverty in America. The good news is that the poverty rate has more or less stabilized for the first time in three years, while the bad news is that the number of people living in poverty in the St. Louis area is well above the national average. Join host Don Marsh for a discussion about poverty and its ripple effects in the region. Later in the program, we’ll take a look at a program designed to keep ex-offenders on the right track.
Segment A – Poverty and the Homeless in St. Louis
Guest: Martin Rafanan, Executive Director, Gateway 180: Homelessness Reversed
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Martin Rafanan mentioned he works in the largest emergency shelter for women and children in Missouri. There, he says, one in five women at the shelter work fulltime but can’t afford to live anywhere else. “When a person is doing everything that they possibly can to play by the rules, to do everything they can to work, and to provide for their family and yet they are still in a position that they have to be in an emergency shelter, I think we can do better than that as a community and I believe that St. Louis is very committed to doing better than that and helping people,” said Rafanan.
Rafanan also said, according to the most recent census of homeless people conducted a few months ago, there are about 1,400 people without a home in St. Louis. Of those, however, Rafanan said 1,250 are receiving some form of aid.
Related Event:
Community Against Poverty’s (CAP) Volunteer Fair
Sunday, September 23, 2012
3:00 - 5:00 p.m.
The Heights, 8001 Dale Ave
(314) 442-3894
Segment B – Support for Ex-Offenders
Guests: Adrienne Denson, Executive Director, Project COPE and Wayne Coleman, President, Project COPE
Related Event:
Project COPE Gala Presents Mike Wolff in "Saving Lives, Saving Talents: Community Help for Ex-Offenders"
Sunday, September 23, 2012
5:15 p.m.
St. Francis Xavier Ballroom, 3628 Lindell
(314) 389-4804
