Forum Tackles Poverty in Addison County

Author: Alyssa Thurston

Thanksgiving is a holiday celebrating the having - and eating - of plenty. To Middlebury College's Volunteer Services Organization (VSO), it's also the perfect time to spread awareness of the issues of hunger and poverty on a local level.

They did so last Monday at 7 p.m. in the Robert A. Jones '59 Conference Room at a forum entitled "Poverty and Hunger in Addison County." The forum, sponsored by VSO and the College's Brainerd Commons, kicked off VSO's Hunger Awareness Week at the College from Nov. 17-24.

The purpose of the forum, as advertised on posters around campus, was to "address the multiple aspects of poverty, how they are integrated, and will explore ways in which one can address community needs in a responsible and helpful manner."

The forum hosted four panelists who, while they represented a variety of social service organizations in Addison County, all directly deal with the issues of poverty and hunger on a daily basis.

Terry McKnight represented the Addison County Community Trust, an organization that works to help obtain affordable housing for people whose salaries don't provide them with livable wages.

Panelist Jeanne Montross represented two organizations. The Addison County Community Action Group's (ACCAG) general mission is to end poverty in Addison County The John W. Graham Shelter in Vergennes provides emergency services, including shelter, food and medical assistance to people in need.

Paula Sargent was from Hea Start, a program that targets low-income families to provide child services, with an emphasis on education. The final panelist was Ruth Hardy from the Open Door Clinic, which provides semi-weekly free medical services to people without medical insurance.

A main theme running through the panelists' presentation was the unrecognized seriousness of the probems of homelessness and hunger in Addison County. In commenting on these issues, McKnight remarked that "people think of Addison County as a beautiful, rural place where housing is cheap and easy to find - that's simply not true." There is, instead, "tremendous demand" for housing in the area "that is not being met and is growing every year."

Montross concurred with McKnight's assessment of the seriousness of poverty in the local community, saying, "It seems like [poverty] is growing [in Addison County]. We don't know where it will end. It's a problem that is tough and that is only getting tougher." She said that there is often a "huge gap" between people's salaries and the costs of living in Addison County that desperately needs to be closed.

Panelists also continually cited their appreciation for the numbers of local residents and college students who volunteer their time and efforts with various service organizations. "Any kind of volunteering is extremely helpful and valuable," commented Hardy. But she also cautioned volunteers to "come with an open mind - you can't have all the answers [to these problems]. We certainly don't."

After the four panelists spoke, moderator Heather Cronk, of the College's Alliance for Civic Engagement office, opened up the discussion to audience questions.

Attendees posed a variety of questions and comments. Laurel Houghton '04 asked about ways to prevent the root causes of poverty and hunger, instead of just "patching up" these problems with the services provided by these organizations. Another student asked how Middlebury College, as a source of major wealth in the area and the largest landowner in Addison County, might be able to help the community with the problem of local poverty.

Perhaps the defining statement of the evening was the most basic one, made in response to a question about the importance of supporting the projects of these organizations. Montross stated simply that involvement "makes the world a better place if everyone has a better chance. So often, people end up serving themselves. We need to look at what is right and moral and make those things happen" through willingly helping people in need.

In the words of Sargent, "our [basic] goal is to help families build a bridge out of poverty." The incredible passion and conviction in their work that the panelists showed, as well as their dedication to spreading awareness of the issues of poverty and hunger on the local level, prove that such bridges have a solid foundation in Addison County.