The average U.S. household will spend nearly $900 on back-to-school supplies this year, and in Minnesota, poverty-fighting organizations are feverishly trying to help low-income families get the items they need for a successful school year.
The cost estimate is from a National Retail Federation survey, and researchers said it is the highest total they've recorded. It comes as these families try to juggle higher expenses elsewhere, including rent, utilities and food.
Annie Shapiro, advocacy director for the Minnesota Community Action Partnership, said the Legislature has helped with actions such as free school meals for all students. But some families will still have tough decisions to make.
"We still have families really struggling to meet those basic needs," Shapiro pointed out. "When you're struggling to meet your basic needs, those more second-tier expenses just fall by the wayside. "
Around the state, community action agencies work with local partners on back-to-school giveaways for registered households. For example, last week, Community Action Partnership of Scott, Carver and Dakota counties gave away more than 700 backpacks filled with school supplies. The offices report heavy demand for overall services, and school supply events are no exception.
In northeastern Minnesota, the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency is in its third year of handing out shoes to students who need them.
Emily Bombich, planning director for the agency, said it has grown to the point where they have a waitlist. She noted shoes can be an overlooked item as part of back-to-school needs.
"Kids all need to have, it seems like, a couple pairs of shoes when they go back to school," Bombich noted. "If a kid doesn't even have a new pair, how can they have a couple? And when they don't have a pair of good-fitting shoes, that can cause a lot of different issues."
Organizers argued it includes potential injuries, as well as feeling stigmatized.
In Meeker County, United Community Action Partnership has an annual school-supply giveaway.
Rochelle Brummond, outreach worker for the partnership, said they handed out more than 100 backpacks on the first day. Students use a lot of electronics these days, but her team ensures those in need have basic supplies.
"We have notebooks, we have scissors, we have glue sticks," Brummond outlined.
She added trying to cover such expenses is especially hard on families with multiple children.
Disclosure: The Minnesota Community Action Association Resource Fund contributes to our fund for reporting on Early Childhood Education, Health Issues, Housing/Homelessness, and Poverty Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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With chants of "We are the swing vote," poor and low-wage workers gathered in Washington, D.C., recently to rally and strategize ahead of the election.
The Poor People's Campaign describes itself as "a national call for moral revival," and advocates for a so-called "Third Reconstruction" which would address the crisis of poverty. Leaders cited research showing poverty is the fourth-leading cause of death nationwide.
William J. Barber II, co-chair of the Poor People's Campaign, said with more than 140 million poor and low-wage workers in the nation, empowering the group to vote is critical.
"Poor people make up 30% of the electorate now, 40% in every battleground state," Barber pointed out. "Poor people and low-wage workers are the largest swing vote in the country. Every state where the margin of victory was within 3%, poor and low-wage voters make up over 43% of the electorate."
The Campaign estimated low-income Marylanders account for about 21% of the electorate.
The rally included religious leaders, workers, and representatives of organized labor from across the nation. The Campaign believes all workers should have the right to join unions and receive equal pay for equal work. Unfair pay was highlighted by members of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA.
London Lester, a flight attendant for PSA Airlines and a member of the union, said the big carriers use subsidiaries to avoid paying fair wages.
"Most of you probably don't recognize my airline, PSA, when you fly. We fly the smaller planes under the American Eagle brand, and we're owned by American Airlines," Lester pointed out. "We wear the same uniforms, we do the same work but our corporate bosses have created 'tiers' between regional and mainline, so that they can pay a huge part of the workforce poverty wages."
While Maryland has raised the state minimum wage to $15 an hour, the living wage in the state is estimated to be $24 an hour for one person, and nearly $42 an hour for an adult with one child.
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Some Missouri nonprofit groups have teamed up to help those in need in the rural southeastern part of the state.
Many households in these communities struggle to pay their electric bills, as poverty rates are 10% higher than the state average. The local electric utility provider has been criticized for not doing more to help alleviate the financial burden. In response, Renew Missouri is partnering with churches and other nonprofits to help people get signed up for state and federal energy assistance programs.
Jessica Polk Sentell, eastern director for Renew Missouri, works with the Ministerial Alliance at its food banks.
"I have been there with some literature and educational materials," Polk Sentell explained. "To help bring some education and some visibility and some outreach, to these programs that help people pay their energy bills."
She pointed out Renew Missouri's mission is to advance renewable energy and energy efficiency in the state. To be eligible for assistance, you must be a Missouri resident, a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. You must have no more than $3,000 in bank or retirement accounts, or investments and meet the income guidelines for your household size.
Brian Abbott, pastor of Trinity United Methodist Church in Piedmont, also serves as president of the local Ministerial Alliance. He said there are many people coming in for help and while they do their best with food banks and food trucks, it is a growing challenge.
"We don't have the resources, coming out of COVID and a lot of other things that have gone on in the last five years or so in the economy," Abbott emphasized. "It's really left a gap there for us, you know. We're telling a lot of people, 'We understand you may have a shut-off notice, but we just don't have the funds to help with that.'"
The Renew Missouri initiative is also bringing relief to under-resourced Community Action Agencies, which often struggle to connect households with resources to help pay their energy bills.
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A Legislature-backed Commission on Poverty in Massachusetts aims to address the state's historic wealth gap.
The commission will study demographic disparities and existing programs to reduce poverty over the next decade, and has been holding public hearings to gather feedback.
State Sen. Sal DiDomenico - D-Everett - said Massachusetts has the highest median wage for workers in the nation, but one of the greatest gaps between wealthy and low-income individuals.
"So we know we have much work to be done in this commission," said DiDomenico, "to bring more equity to the table when it comes to residents across the Commonwealth."
DiDomenico said it's unacceptable that roughly 70,000 Massachusetts children live in what's considered "deep poverty" - or 50% below the federal poverty level.
He said efforts to undo those numbers should be a top legislative priority.
Sixty years after the launch of President Lyndon Johnson's "War on Poverty," community action agencies in Massachusetts say data reveal which policies are most effective.
Expanded tax credits and stimulus payments were shown to help cut childhood poverty in half during the pandemic, and efforts continue to grow guaranteed basic income programs.
Laura Meisenhelter is board president of the Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP), a coalition of more than twenty community action agencies.
She said they're responding to local needs while working for systemic change.
"We confirmed," said Meisenhelter, "both large and small changes to public policy and programs and practices can have an enormous impact."
Meisenhelter said agency staff visit clients at nursing homes, aid parents in buying Christmas gifts, and help ensure that people's basic needs such as food, clothing and diapers are met.
She said that need is increasing as the poverty line set decades ago has not kept pace with the increasing standard of living.
The Commission on Poverty's next public hearing will take place later this year in the Fall River and New Bedford area.
Disclosure: Massachusetts Association for Community Action contributes to our fund for reporting on Housing/Homelessness, Hunger/Food/Nutrition, Poverty Issues, Social Justice. If you would like to help support news in the public interest,
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