Dear Fellow Illinoisans,
Did you know that…………………
- Of the 12 million people in the state of Illinois, 1,562,900 people are living in poverty.
- One in four people in Illinois lives near poverty, enough Illinoisans to fill the states of Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota combined.
- Thirty-one Illinois counties had an increase in the rate of poverty from 2002-2003 and these rates keep increasing.
- Though one of the wealthiest states in the Midwest, Illinois has had the highest poverty rate every year since 2002.
- Illinois continues to have the highest child poverty rate in the Midwestand has since 2000.
With our state budget raging out of control, many programs for the economically challenged have been cut and federal priorities have shifted. Due to state budget cuts, human service organizations can no longer tend to vulnerable Illinoisans. This is not good news for Illinoisans who reside in McDonough, Jackson, Saline,Gallatin, Alexander and Pulaski Counties, because the poverty rate in these Western and Southern counties is at 15% or higher. In other words, 10,000-20,000 or more people are living in poverty in these areas.
But, the plight of the poor is getting even worse. With our economy in a slump, food banks and homeless shelters are being thrown off by rising costs and the diminishing funds at the state level. In February, Governor Blagojevich stated that “boosting Illinois’ economy and helping working families in the face of a national economic slowdown,” would be the focus of the Fiscal Year 2009 budget—a statement that has since fallen on the deaf ears of key decision makers.
Perhaps one of the hardest pills to swallow is how readily our state is willing to pay hefty price tags for other programs and events, but cannot seem to decrease the line every weekday night at Catholic Charities. For the 2016 Olympic Games, state officials are prepared to pay $2 billion dollars for venue construction, but we do not have enough food and resources to help out people living in poverty. But do not think critics have not taken notice; some outspoken folk at the Illinois Coalition for the Homeless have charged Mayor Daley and other city officials with downplaying poverty rates to improve Chicago’s chances to host the Olympics. Mayor Daley claims that less that 30 individuals in theChicago area are homeless people living on the streets. Is this true? Well, homeless advocates are saying no….considering if you walk down Lower Wacker Drive, there is homeless row, a dwelling where on any given day 20 or more homeless people gather to sleep.
But, now with flooding claiming the lives and homes of many people in Gulfport, Illinois, it seems the poverty problem is only getting worse. With two levees breached and the federal government warning Western Illinoisans that 20 to 30 more levees could overflow along the Mississippi River, this only means one thing—more people will need to evacuate their soon-to-be damaged homes or lose their homes all together and be forced to live on the streets.
My fellow Illinoisan’s, I am left to ask, what can we do to help out our neighbors who need help? Below I have listed a few ways that I believe we can help the hungry and homeless across our state. Hopefully, if our state leaders cannot make a difference, as individuals we can join together and make a big impact.
- Volunteer as tutor in impoverished areas to help individuals and children become more educated so their job prospects become better.
- Write to state bigwigs like Gov. Blagojevich and other state reps to remind them that the longer our budget flails out-of-control, the longer the needy go without basic necessities.
- With rising fuel costs hindering the help the homeless get, offer to drop off food to families in need yourself. Or, take part in other efforts to ship packages of food to the needy via the mail.
- Call your local pantries and food depositories to see what materials and foods are needed. Then, arrange for your friends, family and co-workers to start collecting these things and drop them off as you collect them.
For further information pertaining to the plight ofIllinois’ poor, you can look to the following Web sites:
http://www.chicagohomeless.org/
http://www.chicagohomeless.org/files/images/Fact_Sheet_o.pdf
http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/ResearchonHomelessnessinIllinois.html
http://www.heartlandalliance.org/maip/documents/Povertyreport2006lr.pdf
Sincerely,
Jacqueline A. Ingles
Illinois Street Team Reporter
P.S. To see how life on Illinois streets is for our homeless, visit my video at: http://think.mtv.com/044FDFFFF00989E1E00170099064E/