Poverty remains concern for United Methodist Women
9/8/2000 News media contact: Linda Bloom · (646) 369-3759 · New York A UMNS Feature By Kelly Martini* A life of success is not likely for a child who doesn't have access to personal computers, enough books or teachers in the classroom, or a school where safety is emphasized.
And children who spend hours a day picking strawberries in fields next to their parents just to generate food money are not likely to receive a decent education, said Lois Dauway, an executive with the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. Instead, they are likely to be prone to health problems because of pesticides and hard labor, she said.
"Poverty is systemic," she said. "Children living in poverty don't get the health care they need. Unhealthy children miss more days of school. They don't concentrate in school (because) they have basic needs, like food, on their mind. They're also less likely to attend schools that have good classrooms, computers and enough teachers or books."
Though the nation is booming economically, poverty among children is higher today than it was 20 years ago, according to a study by the National Center for Children in Poverty at Columbia University. An Aug. 11 New York Times report on the study revealed that more than 13 million U.S. children live in poverty, an increase of 3 million since 1979.
Poverty infiltrates all facets of a child's life, so it is rare to find children who have found their way out of these engulfing circumstances, Dauway said.
"For more than a hundred years, United Methodist Women (UMW) and its predecessor organizations have been looking for ways to help children get out of the deluge of poverty," she added. With the United Methodist Bishops' Initiative on Children and Poverty, "the whole denomination has begun to focus on it. The work needs to continue until poverty is eliminated," she said.
UMW believes that systemic changes can be made by working with grass-roots organizations to create a supportive environment for children in communities, doing legislative advocacy on behalf of women and children, and educating churches about poverty, empowerment and what can be done.
The organization gives more than $5 million annually to national ministries with women, children and youth. Grants on behalf of children and youth creatively address poverty and attempt to change the entangling cycle. Examples include prevention projects for high-risk teen-agers, Christian mentoring programs and tutoring, classes in industrial arts, instrumental music and art, theater projects that teach about stopping violence and education for unwed, pregnant minors.
One success story is Angenise Jones, profiled in the April issue of Response, the UMW magazine. The married mother of five turned to the Wesley Child Care Center in Cincinnati for assistance. The center helped her write a resume and find a job. Her children attend the center's day-care and after-school program. And, when her oldest son needed counseling, the center helped find a place to fit his needs.
The United Methodist Women's Action Network is urging church members to contact their congressional representatives during September to advocate on behalf of children.
"There are nearly 100 bills pending in Congress that have children as a focal point," said Susie Johnson, executive secretary for public policy with the Women's Division. The network highlights bills of major importance to the welfare of children.
When Congress adjourned last year, it didn't include an additional $818 million that the Senate had approved for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (HR 2693). With 64 percent of mothers with children under age 6, and 78 percent of mothers with children ages 6 to 13 in the labor force, United Methodist Women believe child care is needed for all working parents.
Most former welfare recipients are working for pay between $5.50 and $7 per hour, which is not enough to lift families out of poverty, according to information from the Women's Action Network. The bipartisan Hunger Relief Act (S1805/HR 3192) would extend the reach of food stamps to more hungry families.
The Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which provides programs, laws and funds for domestic violence shelters and services to end domestic violence, is also in danger of not being re-authorized. This year alone, more than 3 million women have been severely abused and 1,000 children have died from family violence.
The Women's Division represents United Methodist Women, a million-member organization focusing on fostering spiritual growth, developing leaders and advocating for justice. Members raise more than $20 million a year for programs and projects related to women, children and youth in the United States and in more than 100 countries around the world.
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*Martini is executive secretary for communications with the Women's Division of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries.
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