Jan. 25, 2008

Michigan Commission on Community Action and Economic Opportunity will hold forums in Big Rapids, Waterford, Detroit and Flint in January and February to hear directly from Michigan individuals and families who are living in poverty. They are part of a series of six forums to be held across the state that will lead to Michigan's first poverty summit in November 2008.

The forums will be held: 

• Thursday, Jan. 31 from 10 a.m-1 p.m. at Ferris State University's Granger Center for Construction and HVACR Building Atrium, 605 S. Warren St. in Big Rapids 
• Wednesday, Feb. 6 from 1-4 p.m. at the Oakland County Executive Office Building Conference Center, East Conference Room, 2100 Pontiac Lake Rd. in Waterford
• Tuesday, Feb. 12 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Central United Methodist Church, 23 East Adams in Detroit.
• Tuesday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Genesee County Community Action, 601 N. Saginaw St., Flint.

Previous forums were held in December in Sault Ste. Marie and Kalamazoo. The sponsoring state commission was established by Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2003 and is charged with advancing state policies and programs to reduce poverty and to address the needs and concerns of low-income people.

The forums provide a vehicle for people living in poverty to share their stories and life experiences as they pursue economic self-sufficiency.The commission hopes to gain first hand knowledge of what families and individuals face when accessing public and private support systems.

"We want to find out what works at the grass-roots level, what programs are innovative in helping people move out of poverty." commission chairperson Sonia Harb said. "We think it is vitally important that we hear the stories and experiences of people who deal with poverty ever day as part of this process."

The commission is supported by the Department of Human Services' Bureau of Community Action and Economic Opportunity. 

"Poverty has quietly become the most important question of our time," said Ismael Ahmed, director of Michigan Department of Human Services."Almost two million people live in or near poverty in Michigan including almost a half-million children. Almost three million residents live in low-income status.

"This is an issue nationwide, not just in Michigan, and it has special meaning here with the ongoing weakness of our state economy."

The commission is working in a state-wide partnership with the Michigan League for Human Services, a Lansing-based non-profit organization dedicated to education, research and advocacy for the benefit of low-income and other vulnerable citizens. The Michigan Community Action Agency Association, a membership organization for the 30 community action agencies that provide human service programs in all 83 counties, is the other principal partner.

The commission is also working with local organizations and coalitions including the Kalamazoo Poverty Reduction Initiative led by the Kalamazoo Chamber of Commerce. In addition to hearing testimony from consumers of state welfare programs, the commission is encouraging local service organizations to provide details of innovative programming that has resulted in positive outcomes for the poor.

For more information contact commission member Daniel Piepszowski at 313-689-0171.

For more information go to www.michigan.gov/dhs