United Way official discusses poverty during social service presentation

People in the social service field gathered at the United Way of Southeast Missouri on Tuesday to learn more about something called the invisible nation of poverty.

They listened to a presentation by Melissa Stickel, titled "Poverty 101," to gain a deeper understanding of poverty in the community. Stickel is director of community development for the agency.

She asked the group to imagine what poverty looks like -- to picture specific traits or characteristics.

"This is actually what poverty looks like," Stickel said as she queued up a slide with blank frames. "It's invisible ... because we don't accept that there are people in poverty in our community, or we don't acknowledge it."

The poverty threshold for a family of four is $23,550 a year, based on data by the U.S. Census Bureau. In Cape Girardeau County, nearly 25 percent of households earn less than $25,000 a year and about 14 percent of all families in the county live below the federal poverty level.

But that number likely doesn't reflect the actual number, Stickel said. The formula created to determine the poverty threshold was created in 1963 based on the average cost of a basket of food for a family of four. Today, that guideline still is based solely on food costs.

"It's outdated," Stickel said, because it doesn't reflect current food spending, housing costs or changing family structures.

Addressing poverty can be difficult because of stereotypes that surround the issue. Many people believe others live in poverty because they are "lazy" or that they could rise out of it if they worked harder, Stickel said in her presentation.

As that stereotype persists, people living in poverty begin to internalize those ideas and believe personal failure and incompetence have led to their situation.

But the cause is multifaceted. The lack of jobs and wage inequalities play a major role in the persistence of poverty.

About 25 percent of Missouri jobs are considered low-wage, and the state has an unemployment rate of roughly 6.7 percent. While this is nearly identical to the national unemployment rate, the number represents an increase in unemployment, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The state was at 6 percent in January.

A significant number of people in poverty are considered working class, meaning they hold at least one job but do not earn enough to cover basic needs such as housing, utilities and grocery bills. Nearly 50 percent of families in poverty have a family member with at least one job.

To break through poverty barriers, Stickel said it is important to "build relationships that matter." It's not just about finding a way to help the poor attain basic needs, she told the group, but to build them up and prepare them for success. The social stigma attached to poverty can often cause individuals to lose dignity, so even if they receive help for job interviews and resumes, they still may lack the confidence to succeed.

"They internalize it. They think, 'I'm not smart. I have nothing to offer. I know you're teaching me this, but I'm going to fail,'" Stickel said. "So as you help them with interviews and resumes to appear confident, you need to actually build their confidence."

For Sister Theresa Davey, who helps with outreach and other services at St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Cape Girardeau, working to break through the barrier was one of the most interesting lessons in the presentation. Although she was aware of most of the information already, she said she found value in what she was hearing.

"I think it was very helpful that [Stickel] emphasized the last part, that it's important to build relationships that matter," she said. "Another piece that seemed very helpful to me was the circumstances that cause people to internalize [poverty-related issues]."

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

430 A Broadway St., Cape Girardeau, MO