Campaign seeks to raise awareness of U.S. poverty - Catholic Campaign for Human Development - Brief Article

National Catholic Reporter, Jan 19, 2001

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development has launched a multimedia campaign to raise awareness of what a radio ad calls the "more than 32 million living, dreaming, anxious, hoping, desperate people" who live in poverty in the United States.

The campaign -- which includes TV and radio public-service ads in English and Spanish, print ads for Catholic and secular publications and a Web site at www.povertyusa.org -- designates January as Poverty in America Awareness Month.

Focusing on "Poverty USA" as America's "second largest state," the ads note that one in 11 families and one in six children currently live below the U.S. Census Bureau's poverty threshold of $17,184 for a family of four.

"December brings outpourings of good will and concern for the poor, but in January the nation returns to its routines, and the poor are still poor," Fr. Robert J. Vitillo, the organization's executive director, said at a Jan. 9 news conference at the National Press Club in Washington.

"By focusing on poverty in January, we hope to remind Americans early each year that poverty is still very much a part of American life," he added.

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development, the national anti-poverty program of the U.S. Catholic bishops, funds self-help projects initiated and led by poor people themselves. The funds come from an annual collection in U.S. Catholic parishes.

Also released at the news conference was a nationwide "Poverty Pulse" survey, which found that poverty ranks low in the nation's consciousness, with only 3 percent naming it among general issues of concern to society.

But when asked specifically if poverty is a concern, 87 percent said they were very concerned or somewhat concerned. In a separate survey of Americans whose incomes fall below the poverty line, 94 percent said they were very or somewhat concerned.

However, most of those living below the poverty line did not consider themselves to be poor. Fifty-nine percent of those respondents called themselves "low income," 13 percent said they were "middle income" and 24 percent said they were poor. The margin of error for the poll was plus or minus 3 percentage points.

In fighting poverty, Vitillo said, "Some results can be expected from individual efforts, but the most effective approach to reducing poverty is through community-based, self-help organizations.

"This pervasive problem in society warrants and deserves a community response," he added.

The campaign materials offered a number of suggestions for how individuals could help to alleviate poverty. They included:

* Make a commitment to work with local self-help projects.

* Let elected officials know that the poor really matter to voters in their districts.

* Donate time, talents, money and other resources to organizations that help poor people become independent, successful members of society.

* Offer business expertise to someone starting his or her own business.

* Pay a living wage to someone working in a traditionally low-paying job.

* Sponsor the education of a poor child.

* Mentor a needy individual.