Pathways Past Poverty is a long term effort. Our community must dedicate its energy and resources to addressing the root causes of poverty to accomplish sustained positive change.

 

Our commitment is not only to address the needs of those living in poverty now, but to also create long term solutions and opportunities for Larimer County residents to attain and maintain self-sufficiency.

Pathways Past Poverty is now building relationships with the stakeholders around each of the goal focus areas. All sectors of our community are essential components to developing and implementing strategies for turning around this trend of growing poverty.  Efforts are being made to engage the faith communities, the human service community, government, the education community, and the business community. 

Strategy Development

Pathways Past Poverty can support strategy development and implementation in many different ways:

• Champion current activities focused on systemic change
• Connect current stakeholders and initiatives with the resources and support of the larger community
• Creation of Strategy Development Teams by recruiting local experts, community investors and key stakeholders from across the County

Measurement of success is a fundamental principle required for goal implementation. Pathways Past Poverty is a transparent and accountable initiative that understands this process is about results.

 

Another important requirement in the strategy development process is to determine the cost of implementation. Once the funding requirements are clarified Pathways Past Poverty partners will work to identify different funding streams from various sources such as foundation grants, government funding, corporate sponsorship, etc.

One source of funding will come from United Way of Larimer County’s “Bridging the Gap” Fund. This fund was developed specifically to support some portion of the strategies developed through Pathways Past Poverty.

 

Community Health Index

Additional efforts are now underway to develop a Social Health Index to further measure key Larimer County indicators to better understand the health of our community on a macro level and the effect our efforts are having on those indicators and the overall health of our County.

Poverty Study

In July 2008, several organizations saw the need for a study to look more at the root causes of poverty. A number of agencies made gifts to the CSU Foundation to support an Economic Poverty Study.

The supporting agencies are:

• Community Foundation of Northern Colorado
• Bohemian Foundation
• Kenneth and Myra Monfort Foundation
• Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation
• Larimer County Human Services
  

The Problem:

Why is local poverty growing when basic economic indicators suggest a relatively healthy economy?

The Economic Poverty Study is focused on providing Larimer County with information and options for reducing poverty.

The Study’s Goals:

• To provide a comprehensive picture of local poverty trends;
• Use statistical models to better understand how social and economic forces affect local poverty
• Offer policy and programming recommendations

The Research Questions:

• What role does job growth play in poverty reduction?
• How are changes in poverty affected by changing demographics?
• What are the socio-demographic profiles of the impoverished?

 

The study hopes to capture the true dynamics of the increase in poverty. In doing so, the study will provide local policy makers and human service organizations with the objective and reliable information they need to develop effective and efficient programs to reduce poverty.

Become Part of the Solution

• Educate your sphere of influence: Create and support opportunities that will promote understanding of the problem of poverty.
• Publicize the initiative: Help positively promote this effort to strengthen our community and keep it a wonderful place to live and work.
• Volunteer with a local agency that supports people in poverty in our community. Visit www.uwaylc.org or dial 2-1-1 to learn more about volunteer opportunities in our community.

Events and Updates:

Pathways Past Poverty will continue to host and support various events and community updates. As a part of our commitment to transparency and community involvement, PPP will consistently connect with our constituents and the larger community to keep everyone informed of our progress and opportunities to support this important effort.

For more information on upcoming events CLICK HERE.

To get involved, or for more information contact Mary Atchison or Marija Weeden-Osborn at United Way of Larimer County.