Local group heads to White House in fight against poverty

The East Missouri Action Agency works to fight poverty in this part of the state on a daily basis. But now a group from the local agency is gearing up to take that fight to Washington, D.C., and lay it right on the president's doorstep.

On Sept. 4, a group of approximately 50 staffers, volunteers and supporters from the East Missouri Action Agency will converge on the nation's capital to attend the "No Room for Poverty" national rally. The rally will be sponsored by the national Community Action Partnership to shine a light on a growing problem in America.

"We're trying to bring national attention to poverty in America," said Keri McCrorey, community services director with the East Missouri Action Agency. "We feel we need to express our concerns on unemployment, education."

The rally will take place at the Ellipse in Washington, located between the Washington Monument and the White House. It will be part of the Community Action Partnership's 2004 Annual Convention and will mark the 40th anniversary of Community Action.

Partnership national president Derrick Span estimates that anywhere from 50,000 to 60,000 people will attend the rally. He said the Community Action network is using the rally to call for a White House Conference on American Poverty.

"Only the White House can focus the national attention and galvanize the kind of national media coverage we're looking for," said Span. He also said that only the administrative branch can summon the caliber of experienced theorists, practitioners and policy-makers needed to address this issue.

According to Span, a big part of the solution will be solidifying the funding of community service organizations, like the East Missouri Action Agency, that regularly butt heads with poverty at every level.

"Poverty is everybody's problem," Span said. "It's nobody's fault, but it's everybody's fight."

trehagen@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 137