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| Task Force Says Knox County is in State of Denial About Poverty |
There is poverty in Knox County, and some people may know about it, but they apparently don't want to know about it.
Those are the initial findings of the "Team Knox County" Poverty Task Force, who announced yesterday the results of a community survey that's been done following a report by the Heartland Alliance that put the county on a poverty warning list.
Diane Eager of Bridgeway is on the task force, and says the survey -- based on one crafted by Colorado State University -- finds that on a scale of one-to-nine, the county scores a pretty low number...2, or, "denial/resistance."
"At least some community members recognize that it is a concern," Eager said, explaining what the ranking means. "But there is little recognition that it might be occurring locally. We understand that a lot of you have deep concern and the community has a deep concern, but that concern is not translating into action. So that is the reason we are at the stage two level of readiness."
The task force is chaired by Galesburg Mayoral Candidate and state economic development official Sal Garza, who says in order to get up to stage nine, listed as "high level of community ownership," a lot of work will have to be done not only by the task force, but also the rest of the community.
The first step could very well be a poverty simulation scheduled for April first hosted by the Knox County University of Illinois Extension.
CLICK HERE to read some of Team Knox County's findings, in PDF format.
(Team Knox County Chairman Sal Garza, left, watches as Bridgeway's Diane Eager, right, discusses some of their findings Friday at the Knox County Administrative Annex.)
(Abingdon Mayor Steve Darmer accepts a certificate of recognition for being a part of the Team Knox County Poverty Task Force. Darmer, an employee of OSF St. Mary Medical Center, also accepted their award. WGIL News Story and Photos by Will Stevenson.) |
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| 02 20 09 by Newsroom |
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