The Diversifieds A publication of the EDRC at Grays Harbor College
Volume 1, Issue 2
January 2009
Poverty In America Do you know someone who is just hanging on, having to make hard choices between hunger, housing and health? Has the recent eco‐ nomic downturn negatively impacted you and your family, relatives, or friends? January is Poverty in Amer‐ ica Awareness Month. The number of Americans be‐ low the poverty line today is staggering—nearly 37 mil‐ lion. What does it look like for our communities? In 1999, 16.1% of Grays Har‐ bor and 14.4% of Pacific County were below the poverty line. This is how it looked in your neighbor‐ hood: Aberdeen ‐ 22% Cosmopolis ‐ 11% Elma ‐ 19% Hoquiam ‐ 19% McCleary ‐ 18% Montesano ‐ 12% Ocean Shores ‐ 12% Westport ‐ 14% In 2005, the poverty rate for the U.S. was 13.3% and 12% for Washington State. In the same year, Grays Har‐ bor County had a 17.2% poverty rate.
The Poverty Line Each year, the U.S. govern‐ ment calculates the mini‐ mum income needed to attain basic needs (food, shelter, clothing, health care, transportation). The result is what is commonly referred to as the "poverty
line." Using 2005 data, the government has set the 2006 poverty guidelines at: Size of Family Weighted Unit Average Thresholds One person $10,294 Two people $13,167 Three people $16,079 Four people $20,614 Five people $24,382 Six people $27,560 Seven people $31,205 Eight people $34,774 Nine people + $41,499 To better understand what it means to live below the poverty line, view a 3 minute video clip at www.usccb.org/cchd/ povertyusa/tour.htm Support efforts to eradicate poverty by increasing your understanding of the causes and practical solu‐ tions and by active partici‐ pation in your community. For more information visit:
Campus Happenings
Winter Transfer Fair The winter quarter Transfer Fair will be held on January 14th. Contact the counseling center for more information at 538‐4099
Inauguration Day The ASGHC, Phi Theta Kappa, and EDRC will be sponsoring an Inauguration Day Presentation on January 20th. The event will take place from 8:00 to 11:00 a.m. in the HUB. Staff and stu‐ dents are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Jim Sorensen at 538‐ 4099.
MLK Jr. Presentation The EDRC will be sponsoring a presentation in recognition of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day that will take place on Jan. 20th, following the Inaugura‐ tion Day presentation. Two sessions will take place, one at 11:00 and one at noon. Each session will be approxi‐ mately a half hour.
www.povertyusa.og
Literacy Tutors Needed Volunteer tutors are needed for Grays Harbor College’s Adult Basic Education (ABE) and English as a Second Lan‐ guage (ESL) programs. If you are interested, you can con‐ tact Jennifer Barber at 538‐ 2516 or jbarber@ghc.edu for more information.
www.povertyaction.org www.census.gov
www.ghcog.org
www.usccb.org/cchd/ povertyusa
December is... • National Poverty in America Awareness Month • Financial Wellness Month • International Wealth Mentality Month • National Mentoring Month
Awareness Dates: New Year’s Day Emancipation Proclamation World Braille Day Women’s Self-Empowerment Week
Epiphany (Christian) Orthodox Christmas Day Coming of Age Day (Japan) Orthodox New Year Religious Freedom Day World Religion Day Hunt for Happiness Week Martin Luther King Jr. Day Inauguration Day No Name-Calling Week Chinese New Year Holocaust Memorial Day
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The Diversifieds are a publication of the EDRC of Grays Harbor College. The mission of the EDRC is to promote awareness, respect, and equitable treatment of the diverse individuals and groups that exist within our campus and surrounding communities. The EDRC is open to all! Please come visit us in the 200 building.