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Poverty in Northern Kentucky Is more common than most people would assume. My definition for Social Justice is promoting society to have equal rights economically, keeping human dignity, giving the people political and social rights, and making sure there Is opportunity for our own society to succeed. By definition relates to poverty in Northern Kentucky because the community is suffering from poverty. Northern Kentucky has the highest poverty level In the trip-state area. This Is an issue because people are lacking the needs to survive on a daily basis.
My social Justice definition learning interlinks with poverty, my goals to making sure all humans have equal rights economically, people that are in poverty lack there human dignity, because of not being able to provide for their family and themselves correctly. People that are consider In poverty certainly do not have the same political and social rights as someone with more money and resources. Poverty in Northern Kentucky isn’t always recognized, but poverty doesn’t go unnoticed.
Every day I see more and more people out on the streets that are homeless. I feel sympathetic for people that are less unfortunate and that don’t have the same rights as other citizens. Poverty is not Just an issue In Northern Kentucky, it’s a worldwide Issue, there are many reasons why poverty even exists and it makes all people suffer. Poverty doesn’t Just target one group of people, it targets all people. There are many people that have been well off, but lost everything because of the economy effecting them.
According to the 2010 census, there are 14,000 families (and about 55,400 individuals) in Northern Kentucky eight counties living below the poverty level, defined as a yearly Income of only $23,050 for a family of four). With families not being able to make sufficient wages for their basic needs of living. Families often tall in the line of poverty. It wages were Increased federally where the yearly Income could cover all the families living expensive, there would be less people living In poverty, because everything else has gone up, but peoples wages.
Families that are In poverty tend to pay more for goods and services than non-poor families. There are many problems which make people in poverty, poor wages are not Just problem. The fact that there are poor wages makes it difficult, but there isn’t affordable housing, health care, child care and utilities are over price and not affordable. There many victims that are unseen such as children. A child in Kentucky Is born Into poverty every 44 minutes. Kentucky ranks 46th out of the 51 states and Puerco Rice for the percent of children who are poor-??23. 5% of the children of the Commonwealth.
In Northern Kentucky, nearly 17% of children and 23. 5% (nearly 1 in 4) young children are in poor families. (NCAA). These are the hidden victims that no one can see, and these are the children of future, they need to be taken care of. Housing Is not affordable. The Fair Market Rent In the state of Kentucky for a two- bedroom apartment Is $617. Housing is considered affordable if it costs no more than 30% of the family income. To afford a two-bedroom apartment at the Fair Market rate, a person making minimum wage would need to work about 70 hours per week.
I don’t think it is alright for someone to have to work there life away to provide for their t Off working. This is Just for housing for a family. This doesn’t include all the utilities, education and health care. There is an energy burden in Northern Kentucky. Low- income families pay more of their income for basic necessities such as housing and utilities. The home energy burden for families with incomes below 50% of the poverty level is 65% of their annual income, this is Just to heat and light their homes.
This is clearly not affordable for people that don’t get paid more than minimum wage. Families that are having issues with paying their rent and utilities, they also have food insecurities. ” Nearly 16% of households in Northern Kentucky are considered “food insecure. ” For families that rely on food pantries in the region, that number umps to 71% of all clients. (Hunger in KY, 2010 report; US Census) Education effects securing a Job. Over 33,600 people in Campbell, Kenton and Boone counties are functionally illiterate. This means they can fill out an application for a Job.
The Department of Education estimates that 60% of the unemployed lack the basic skills necessary to be trained for today’s high-tech Jobs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) Health care is also an issue to be blame on poverty. Families struggle with health care costs. Almost 25% of two-year-olds in Kentucky are not fully minimized. More than 26% of on-elderly Caucasians with incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level are uninsured. (KY Cabinet for Health and Family Services; Families USA) For families to merge out of poverty there are many changes that are going to have to be made in Northern Kentucky.
There are actions being taken in the community. The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission makes it known that poverty is in Northern Kentucky and that there are projects out there helping the community. Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission was established in 1966 as part of the Johnson Administration’s “War on Poverty. If the United States did a “War on Poverty’, when Nixon was President, instead of “War on Drugs”, the country could have been completely different, instead getting worse.
It’s a great that the Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission, has took this stand on poverty, and I am ready to see their actions make a difference in my community. The KNACK embarked on a courageous effort to bring the community’s various government, business, human services, educational and civic leaders together to talk about ways the Northern Kentucky region can address the paradox of poverty in the midst of extraordinary growth. The result was three Poverty Symposiums and a research paper, The White Paper on Poverty. Poverty has been an issue in Northern Kentucky for a while.
In 2010 Northern Kentucky University reported that Northern Kentucky has the highest poverty level in the trip-state area. Cincinnati New 5 reported in 2012, that one and four children are living in poverty. There are many articles in the media for people to know, that this is an issue and there are efforts people are taking to help one another. There are people out there trying reach my social Justice definition every day. There are many services and resources to help people that are poor. Duke energy offers a program for low income families.
It called the LEAP program provides assistance to low-income households. The Northern Kentucky Community Action Commission will provide assistance to low-income households with home heating costs. This program helps families in winter when the gas is high and becomes unaffordable. Another program is The Child Care Assistance Program similar to those of the federal laws that provide funding for Kentucky child care program. The program also provides subsidy payments, professional development ND training, promulgates regulations and develops policy and procedure.
The last program I found was the Kentucky Transitional Assistance Program. It helps families receive temporary cash assistance and grants to help pay bills and debt. This program will also provide help finding a Job to participants. Also, find help getting the job training and career development that leads to that Job. I didn’t know about this program so I found it extremely interesting. All these program help families that are suffering from poverty. These program will support families that can’t get the quality of life they need.