Bucks County Opportunity Council, Inc.

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Bucks County Opportunity Council, Inc.

• Creating Opportunities for Women and Families in
  Distress

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Circles of Opportunity
One To introduce a framework or
perspective for understanding poverty based on
our experience Two To introduce new approaches
that can enable organizations and communities to
become more skilled in working with individuals
who are in poverty
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Circles of Opportunity

• Opportunity Council
• Founded in 1965 as part of
• War On Poverty
• Progressed from job training to addressing
  emergency needs of low-income
• Out of the Box Question?
• In mid 1990s our Board asked
• Do we help people cope in
• poverty or move them out of
• poverty?

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Circles of Opportunity
Myth People above poverty line should be able to
solve the arithmetic of life Fact Poverty level
for family of four is 20,650 There is one
national poverty level Housing in Bucks County
can be more than 50 of family income
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Housing Trends
Source Prosperity Lost (1990) by Philip Mattera
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Housing Trends

• 1991
• 47 affordable rental units per 100 low-income
  families
• 1997
• 36 affordable rental units per 100 low-income
  families

Source Rental Housingthe Worsening Crisis A
Report to Congress on Worst-Case Housing Needs
(March 2000), U.S. Housing Urban Development
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Housing Trends

• 59 of poor renters spend more than
• 50 of their income on shelter

Source Why Americas Workers Cant Pay the
Rent (Summer 2000) by Peter Dreier in Dissent
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• 22 of U.S. workers earn less than 8 an hour.
• 29 million U.S. workers hold jobs for at least
  half a year and earn less than 15,000.
• Median net worth for top
• 10 833,600
• Median net worth for bottom 20 7,900

Source David Shipler, Stanford Social
Innovations Review (Summer 2004)
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Wage/Rent Connection
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Circles of Opportunity
Myth Poverty level in Bucks County is less than
4 Fact Poverty guidelines to determine program
or benefit eligibility not Poverty In Bucks
County 34 of single mothers with a child age 5
or less lives in poverty
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Circles of Opportunity
Fact Working poor number in Bucks County
families and individuals that work hard and play
by the rules is at least three times the
poverty rate. More than 25,000 households in
Bucks County make less than 35,000 annually
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Circles of Opportunity
Solution Define Self-Sufficiency and develop
a program that will help motivated people
achieve it - Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES)
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Circles of Opportunity

• Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES)
• Complete 15-20 week Getting
• Ahead curriculum
• Full employment
• Free of TANF cash assistance,
• Food Stamps and Section 8
• housing Choice Voucher
• Balanced household budget
• Safe, affordable housing
• Reliable transportation for work
• and child care

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Circles of Opportunity

• Economic Self-Sufficiency (ES)
• Health Insurance coverage for all in family
• Checking and savings account
• Acceptable credit rating or credit repair plan
• Job search skills
• Skills to build eleven resources to sustain
  Self-Sufficiency

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Circles of Opportunity

• ES Grads 2005-06
• 45 grads
• Includes 13 LPNs and 3 registered
• nurses
• Average starting income 77 of
• poverty guidelines
• Average increase to household
• income more than 24,000
• Since 1967 173 grads and 45
• have gone on to purchase
• homes

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Circles of Opportunity

• ES Grads 2005-06
• 45 grads
• Includes 13 LPNs and 3 registered
• nurses
• Average starting income 77 of
• poverty guidelines
• Average increase to household
• income more than 26,052
• Since 1967 173 grads and 45
• have gone on to purchase
• homes

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Circles of Opportunity

• ES Grads Long-term Success
• Quality and quantity of resources
• developed by grad
• How connected grad becomes to
• community

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Circles of Opportunity

• Getting Ahead
• What Its Like Now
• Theory of Change
• Rich/Poor Gap and How It Works
• Hidden Rules of Economic Class
• Eleven Resources

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Circles of Opportunity

• Getting Ahead
• Stages of Change
• Self-Assessment of Resources
• Building Resources
• Community Assessment
• Your Plan for Getting Out of
• Poverty
• Creating Mental Models of
• Success

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Key Point 1
We focus on economic diversity, not racial or
cultural diversity.
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Key Point 2
Poverty is relative.
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Key Point 3
Poverty occurs in all races and in all countries.
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Key Point 4
Economic class is a continuous line, not a
clear-cut distinction.
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Key Point 5
Generational poverty and situational poverty are
different.
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Key Point 6
This work is based on patterns. All patterns have
exceptions.
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Key Point 10
We can neither excuse persons from poverty, nor
scold them for not knowing. As
professionals we provide support, insistence, and
expectations.
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Key Point 11
In order to move from poverty to middle class or
from middle class to wealth, an individual must
give up relationships (at least for a time) for
achievement.
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Key Points
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Key Point 12
We cannot blame the victims of poverty for being
in poverty.
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Key Point 13
We cannot continue to support stereotypes and
prejudices about the poor.
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OBJECTIVE Understand and give examples of the
hidden rules of the three economic classes.
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POSSESSIONS
POVERTY People MIDDLE CLASS Things WEALTH One-of
-a-kind objects, legacies, pedigrees
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LOVE
POVERTY
Love and acceptance conditional, based on whether
individual is liked
MIDDLE CLASS
Love and acceptance conditional and based largely
on achievement
WEALTH
Love and acceptance conditional and related to
social standing and connections
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SOCIAL EMPHASIS
POVERTY
Social inclusion of people he/she likes
MIDDLE CLASS
Emphasis is on self-governance and
self-sufficiency
WEALTH
Emphasis is on social exclusion
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PERSONALITY
POVERTY
Is for entertainment Sense of
humor is highly valued
MIDDLE CLASS
Is for acquisition and stability Achievement is
highly valued
WEALTH
Is for connections Financial, political, social
connections are highly valued
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FOOD
POVERTY
Key question Did you have enough? Quantity
important
MIDDLE CLASS
Key question Did you like it? Quality important
WEALTH
Key question Was it presented well?
Presentation important
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CLOTHING
POVERTY
Clothing valued for individual style and
expression of personality
MIDDLE CLASS
Clothing values for its quality and acceptance
into norm of middle class Label important
WEALTH
Clothing valued for its artistic sense and
expression Designer important
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DESTINY
POVERTY
Believes in fate Cannot do much to
mitigate chance
MIDDLE CLASS
Believes in choice Can change future with good
choices now
WEALTH
Noblesse oblige
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EDUCATION
POVERTY
Valued and revered as abstract but not as reality
MIDDLE CLASS
Crucial for climbing success ladder and making
money
WEALTH
Necessary tradition for making and maintaining
connections
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WORLD VIEW
POVERTY
Sees world in terms of local setting
MIDDLE CLASS
Sees world in terms of national setting
WEALTH
Sees world in terms of international view
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HUMOR
POVERTY
About people and sex
MIDDLE CLASS
About situations
WEALTH
About social faux pas
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FAMILY STRUCTURE
POVERTY
Tends to be matriarchal
MIDDLE CLASS
Tends to be patriarchal
WEALTH
Depends on who has the money
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LANGUAGE
POVERTY
Casual register Language is about
survival
MIDDLE CLASS
Formal register Language is
about negotiation
WEALTH
Formal register Language is about
networking
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POWER
POVERTY
Power linked to personal respect Ability to
fight Cant stop bad things from happening
MIDDLE CLASS
Power/respect separated Responds to
position Power in information and institutions
WEALTH
Power in expertise, connections Power in
stability Influences policy and direction
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DRIVING FORCES
POVERTY
Survival, relationships, entertainment
MIDDLE CLASS
Work, achievement
WEALTH
Financial, political, social connections
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COULD YOU SURVIVE IN POVERTY?
COMPLETE THE QUIZ Put a check by each item you
know how to do. ______ 1. I know which churches
and sections of town have the best rummage
sales. ______ 2. I know which rummage sales have
bag sales and when. ______ 3. I know which
grocery stores garbage bins can be accessed for
thrown-away food. ______ 4. I know how to get
someone out of jail. ______ 5. I know how to
physically fight and defend myself
physically. ______ 6. I know how to get a gun,
even if I have a police record. ______ 7. I know
how to keep my clothes from being stolen at the
Laundromat. ______ 8. I know what problems to
look for in a used car. ______ 9. I know how to
live without a checking account. ______10. I know
how to live without electricity and a
phone. ______11. I know how to use a knife as
scissors. ______12. I can entertain a group of
friends with my personality and my
stories. ______13. I know what to do when I
dont have money to pay the bills. ______14. I
know how to move in half a day. ______15. I know
how to get and use food stamps or an electronic
card for benefits. ______16. I know where the
free medical clinics are. ______17. I am very
good at trading and bartering. ______18. I can
get by without a car.
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COULD YOU SURVIVE IN MIDDLE CLASS?
COMPLETE THE QUIZ Put a check by each item you
know how to do. ______1. I know how to get my
children into Little League, piano lessons,
soccer, etc. ______2. I know how to set a table
properly. ______3. I know which stores are most
likely to carry the clothing brands my family
wears. ______4. My children know the best name
brands in clothing. ______5. I know how to order
in a nice restaurant. ______6. I know how to use
a credit card, checking account, and savings
accountand I understand an annuity. I
understand term life insurance, disability
insurance, and 20/80 medical insurance policy,
as well as house, and flood, and replacement
insurance. ______7. I talk to my children about
going to college. ______8. I know how to get one
of the best interest rates on my new-car
loan. ______9. I understand the difference among
the principal, interest, and escrow statements
on my house payment. ______10. I know how to help
my children with their homework and do not
hesitate to call the school if I need additional
information. ______11. I know how to decorate the
house for the different holidays. ______12. I
know how to get a library card. ______13. I know
how to use most of the tools in the
garage. ______14. I repair items in my house
almost immediately when they breakor know a
repair service and call it.
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COULD YOU SURVIVE IN WEALTH?
COMPLETE THE QUIZ Put a check by each item you
know how to do. ______1. I can read a menu in
French, English, and another language. ______2.
I have several favorite restaurants in
different countries of the world. ______3. During
the holidays, I know how to hire a decorator to
identify the appropriate themes and items with
which to decorate the house. ______4. I know
who my preferred financial advisor, legal
service, designer, domestic-employment service,
and hairdresser are. ______5. I have at least
two residences that are staffed and
maintained. ______6. I know how to ensure
confidentiality and loyalty from my domestic
staff. ______7. I have at least two or three
screens that keep people whom I do not wish to
see away from me. ______8. I fly in my own plane
or the company plane. ______9. I know how to
enroll my children in the preferred private
schools. ______10. I know how to host the
parties that key people attend. ______11. I
am on the boards of at least two
charities. ______12. I know the hidden rules
of the Junior League. ______13. I support or
buy the work of a particular artist. ______14.
I know how to read a corporate financial
statement and analyze my own financial
statements.
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Module Five Language
OBJECTIVES Distinguish the different registers
of language and assist people in the development
of the formal register. Understand how
language register, story structure, and language
experience influence cognitive development.
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REGISTERS OF LANGUAGE
Adapted from the work of Martin Joos
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Research About Language in Children, Ages 1 to 3,
in Stable Households by Economic Group
Source Meaningful Differences in the Everyday
Experience of Young American Children (1995) by
Betty Hart Todd R. Risley
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REGISTERS OF LANGUAGE
FROZEN
FORMAL CONSULTATIVE
CASUAL
INTIMATE
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DEFINITION OF RESOURCES
To better understand people from poverty, the
definition of poverty will be the extent to
which an individual does without resources.
The resources are the following
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DEFINITIONS OF RESOURCES
FINANCIAL Being able to purchase the goods and
services of that class and sustain
it. EMOTIONAL Being able to choose and control
emotional responses, particularly to negative
situations, without engaging in self-destructive
behavior. Shows itself through choices. MENTAL Ha
ving the mental abilities and acquired skills
(reading, writing, computing) to deal with daily
life. SPIRITUAL Believing in (divine) purpose
and guidance. PHYSICAL Having physical health
and mobility. SUPPORT SYSTEMS Having friends,
family, and backup resources available to access
in times of need. These are external
resources. RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS Having
frequent access to adult(s) who are appropriate,
nurturing, and who do not engage in destructive
behavior. KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES Knowing the
unspoken cues and habits of a group.
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DEFINITIONS OF RESOURCES
RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS Having frequent access
to adult(s) who are appropriate and nurturing and
who do not engage in destructive
behavior. KNOWLEDGE OF HIDDEN RULES Knowing the
unspoken cues and habits of a group.
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Questions to Ask About Resources

• FINANCIAL
• Is 340 per month per person available?
• Is the issue the use of the finances versus the
  amount of finances?
• Is the approach You owe me because I am poor?
  
• Or is the approach I am proud you will never
  know that I am in financial need?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• EMOTIONAL
• Is there evidence that the individual has
  persistence?
• Can the individual be alone, or does he/she
  always need people around him/her?
• Does the individual act on feelings, i.e., hit
  when he/she is angry?
• Does the individual have coping strategies (for
  adverse situations) that are not destructive to
  self or others?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• MENTAL
• Can the individual read, write, and compute?
• Can the individual plan?
• Can the individual problem-solve?
• Can the individual understand cause and effect,
  then identify consequence?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• SPIRITUAL Meaning for Life
• Does the individual believe in guidance and
  assistance?
• Does the individual have affiliatione.g.,
  church, mosque, synagogue?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• PHYSICAL
• Can the individual take care of himself/herself
  without help?
• Does the physical body allow the person to work
  and to learn?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• SUPPORT SYSTEMS
• Who is available to help this individual with
  time, money, know-how, and advice?
• Is this person the main support system for the
  household?
• What connections are available to this
  individual?
• What coping strategies are available in this
  household?
• How much time is available for this person to
  devote to school and learning?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• RELATIONSHIPS/ROLE MODELS
• Who in the household cares about this person? Who
  does this person care about in the household?
• Is there someone in the household, who cares
  about this individual, who is not destructive to
  self or others?

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Questions to Ask About Resources

• KNOWLEDGE OF MIDDLE-CLASS HIDDEN RULES
• Does this individual know the hidden rules of
  school and work?
• How important are achievement and work?
• Will this individual give up relationships, at
  least for a period of time, for achievement?

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Circles of Opportunity

• Community Engagement -
• Circles of Opportunity!
• Establish relationships across
• class and race lines
• Communities increase their
• awareness about the deeper
• causes of poverty and take new
• responsibility to change
• Reciprocity for building
• community

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Circles of Opportunity

• Supportive and non-judgmental
• They genuinely want me to do well.
• I have a support system, I am not
• on this journey alone.
• I couldnt have done it without you.
• All I wanted was an opportunity.
• You changed my life