West central Minnesota is rooting out poverty

More than 300 people managed to shovel out of the preceding day's snowstorm to attend "Rooting Out Poverty--Rural Family Economic Success," April 7 at the Bigwood Event Center in Fergus Falls. It was the 4th annual Community Action Partnership and partners all-staff training event.

Gregory Gray, executive director of the Minnesota Legislative Commission to End Poverty by 2020, started the day by sharing the commission's progress. Ending poverty requires a consistent and persistent approach, and the participation of people of faith, nonprofit agencies, government and businesses, he told the audience.

"The people in this room are going to help end poverty. You're the real genius of community action," said former St. Paul mayor Jim Schiebel. He recently served as executive director of the Community Action Partnership of Ramsey and Washington Counties. Schiebel talked about Community Action's "Rooting Out Poverty" campaign, and highlighted five action themes:

• Maximize participation.
• Build an economy that works for everyone.
• Invest for the future.
• Maximize equality of opportunity.
• Ensure healthy people and places.

A panel shared success stories, and Minnesota CAP Executive Director Arnie Anderson encouraged the audience to take an active part in politics through voting, letter writing, volunteering and contributions, in order to further the cause of rooting out poverty.

Keynote presenter John Molinaro, associate director of the Aspen Institute's Community Strategies Group in Washington, D.C., introduced participants to RuFES: Rural Family Economic Success. Actually, many of those attending knew RuFES well--west central Minnesota has been using the RuFES principles of Earn It, Keep It, Grow It. Most families in rural America are working, but struggle to get ahead, Molinaro said. Obstacles include low wages, the need for multiple jobs and dealing with special obstacles like limited opportunities and support that is hard to find. Molinaro led the participants through exercises to help the group and individuals determine what they could do to help rural families thrive and succeed.

The Family Economic Success Council's winning ways

When you're going to be honored for a successful collaboration, it's good to bring as many people as you can to the award ceremony.

Members of west central Minnesota's Family Economic Success (FES) Council hired a bus to head to St. Paul on Feb. 12 (with stops to pick up members in Fergus Falls, Elbow Lake and Alexandria) to be recognized by the Minnesota Community Action Partnership, the Minnesota Department of Human Services Office of Economic Opportunity and the University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development at their annual "Best Practices & Promising Practices" awards.

The award recognized the collaboration among west central Minnesota Community Action agencies, social service and public agencies, low-income representatives and elected officials serving a nine-county area (including West Central Initiative), to create and implement a work plan focused on assets and self-sufficiency promotion in their region.

The practice's impact has been substantial:

• increased EITC filings in region by 25 percent in one year.
• an additional $165,000 leveraged to promote and implement asset programs like Family Assets for Independence in Minnesota (FAIM), EITC/tax assistance and financial literacy classes.
• the successful development of Northern Connections, a non-profit organization that offers remote phone support to low-income individuals entering or re-entering the workforce.
• the establishment of a $5,000 interest-free emergency loan fund for those participating in the FAIM program.
  

The Family Economic Success Council includes:

• Lakes & Prairies Community Action Partnership


• Mahube Community Council, Inc.


• Otter Tail-Wadena Community Action Council


• West Central Minnesota Communities Action, Inc