Oshkosh Northwestern (Wisconsin), July 15, 2008: Oshkosh looking at developing its own poverty project
By Aldrich M. Tan
of The Northwestern
A discussion is in the works to get a better handle on poverty in Oshkosh and find ways for organizations to work together to improve the lives of the city’s poor.
The first meeting of the unnamed project took place on Tuesday, involving members of various local agencies, said Sue Panek, director of the Oshkosh Area United Way.
“We have determined that we need to educate ourselves about what are the issues of poverty and what the impact is of poverty in our communities,” she said.
An estimated 34,863 residents in the Appleton-to-Oshkosh area, or 9.5 percent of the population, had incomes at or below the federal poverty level in 2006, according to the most recent estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau.
The project’s inspiration is the Fox Cities’ award-winning Project Promise, Panek said. It started out in January 1997 as a four-month project to get people aware of poverty issues in that area.
The project led to a Fox Cities Project Promise Poverty Coalition that has more than 110 members and continues to grow, said co-chair Jennifer Wanke, who is also the executive director of LEAVEN based in Menasha. The coalition aims to advocate for the poor, engage the community and mobilize resources to eliminate poverty.
In April 2008, the Wisconsin Community Action Program Association named Project Promise the recipient of its “Outstanding Friend of Community Action Award.”
Tuesday’s meeting in Oshkosh included representatives of the county, the city, the school district, Advocap, the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, the Fox Valley Technical College, the Oshkosh Area Community Foundation, the Living Healthy Clinic, and Father Carr’s Place 2B.
Joseph Geniesse, executive director of the Place 2B, said he hopes to help provide the community with a better picture of poverty in Oshkosh and the resources that are available.
“My hope is that by working together as a community, we can understand more about what Oshkosh poverty is all about and is it being served,” he said. “I believe that the gospel message will be lived out through that.”
Wanke said she was delighted to hear that Oshkosh has taken the initiative similar to Project Promise to discuss poverty issues.
“It’s exciting to hear that people consider this a successful venture,” she said.