Cortland Area Communities that Care (CACTC) shares a vision for a safe, stable community that supports positive values, education, diversity and investment in youth.  One of the most meaningful and effective ways to accomplish this is to make sure that young people and their families have strong, secure and safe place to grow.                                        Poverty significantly undermines and steals these opportunities from children and families in our community.  According to the US Census Bureau, more than 46 million people in this country lived at or below the federal poverty line in 2010.  In Cortland County, more than 15% or almost 7000 people live at or below the federal poverty line. According to the NYS Poverty Report, almost 1 out of 5 children in this community (17.2%) live in poverty.  This means that their families do not have adequate resources to always be able to provide shelter, food, health care and other necessities, the means by which children can grow and flourish.                                                                                                                                        As we understand the federal poverty guidelines, it becomes easier to appreciate just how limited resources are for these families.  According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, a family of four is considered to be living in poverty if they make less than $22,350.  Let’s put this in perspective.  Many people believe that if an adult has a job, they can meet their expenses and provide for their children.  This may not always be the case.  If an adult is working full time at minimum wage, they are making $15,080 a year. If that adult has three children and they are a family of four, that family’s income is $7270 below the federal poverty guidelines.                                                                                                               This number becomes even bleaker if we consider the self-sufficiency wage needed to support a family of four in Cortland County. According to the Self Sufficiency Standard for NYS 2010, the adult in this family with 3 children would need to make $28.63 per hour or $60,459 a year to adequately meet their basic needs without public or private assistance.  Having a job does not insure the ability to meet the needs of one’s family.                                                                                                                                                       Many people in our community are not able to meet their basic needs.  This includes having enough food to eat. According to the NYS Office of Children and Family Services, the number of SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) households in Cortland County rose 62% between 2007 and 2011. Currently almost 3700 households in Cortland County depend on SNAP to feed their families. According the NYS Department of Education, in 2010, 47% of the children in Cortland County’s elementary and middle schools were eligible for free lunches.                                                                                                                      As a community, how do we respond to this challenge?  CAPCO hosted a “Bridges Out of Poverty” workshop that along with CAPCO staff, included more than 40 individuals from other agencies and entities in the community. This workshop provided information and resources that helped participants better understand poverty and its affect on individuals and families in this community.                                                                                                                              On November 7th, CAPCO is hosting the second day of this workshop to include many of those that participated in Day One. The purpose is to continue the dialogue and talk about a meaningful response to the problem of poverty in Cortland County.  The issues are big, and the challenges are many. But, the stakes are too high to ignore.  Strong families mean strong children and strong children mean a strong future for our community.