There’s more to poverty than a lack of income

Wisconsin’s overall poverty rate rose from 12.4% in 2009 to 13.2% in 2010. Wisconsin’s pre-recession poverty rate in 2007 was 10.8%. Between 2007 and 2010, the number of people in Wisconsin living in poverty increased by about 143,000.

But in Wisconsin, there IS an effort underway to find practical, hands-on solutions to increase collaboration between the private and public sectors to lift people out of poverty toward financial security.

Meet and collaborate with these thought leaders and others:

• Julia Isaacs, Child and Family Policy Fellow, Brookings Institution
• Dr. Garber, President, Milwaukee Center for Independence
• Dean Loumos, Executive Director, Housing Initiatives
• Rick Terrien, Executive Director, Iowa County (WI) Area Economic Development Corporation
• Marijo Upshaw, Leader of Financial Services for Goodwill Industries of North Central Wisconsin, Inc.

Who Should Attend

State agency program managers; nonprofit leaders and program staff; policy makers; business leaders; community action organizers; educators; and members of church groups, foundations, and the media.    

Focus on populations living in poverty includes:

• Unemployed/dislocated workers
• Working poor/incumbent workers
• Welfare recipients
• At-risk youth
• Ex-offenders
• Older workers
• Homeless
• Non-English speaking/English as a second language
• Lack of literacy
• Lack of GED/high school equivalent