Poverty: You are not alone

Talk about it

Editor’s note: The following information was provided by Jessica Boyer, director of the Community Impact Coalition for the United Way of Douglas and Pope Counties.

“Will I be able to feed my children tonight?”

“If I can just make it to my next paycheck…”

“Where will I sleep tonight?”

“How am I going to pay for gas?”

Although Alexandria is a beautiful community with good people and marvelous homes, some of these good people ask the above questions weekly, if not daily.

Some of these good people do not have the marvelous homes and may not have a place to call home at all.

Some good people – who serve you at restaurants, ring up your groceries, clean your office building – are struggling.

In this time of haves and have-nots, more and more are falling in the category of have-nots.

Jobs are being lost, unemployment benefits are running out, medical coverage expires.

Faced with new debts and less money, what does one do, except turn to our local agencies?

The realty is: Funds from agencies are depleting and if they are able to assist, it is often times a one-time solution.

Poverty in this region is alive and real, and unfortunately – growing. Solutions are needed. Action is needed. The Community Impact Coalition (CIC) addresses poverty in this area.

The CIC is a collaboration to bring together community resources to proactively address growing and unmet needs in an open, caring, non-shaming and respectful manner. This will produce measurable results that will have long lasting impact.

CIC meets the fourth Thursday of the month at 3 p.m. at the Minnesota Lakes Maritime Museum in Alexandria. All are welcome to attend. For more information, call the United Way at (320) 763-4840.

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