According to recently released census data, poverty within the nine county service area of Community Action Partnership of North Central Missouri dropped in 2015 to an average of 16.8%. That compares to the 2014 average of 17.7%.
The number of children under the age of 18 currently living in poverty within the agency’s service area remained largely steady at just over 25%.
Northern Missouri’s poverty rate remained higher during 2015 than the overall Missouri poverty rate of 14.8%. According to the agency, individuals are considered poor if resources they share with others in a household are not enough to meet their basic needs While the poverty rate is a snapshot, community action officials believe it’s important to remember poverty is more than a number.
Executive Director Aaron Franklin stated poverty is multi-dimensional and unique to each individual and family who experiences it. As a community, Franklin said we all need to remember that poverty affects everyone –impacting children, local economies, and our future.
To combat the causes and conditions of poverty, Community Action Partnership of north central Missouri provides local, direct services to low-income Missourians in the nine counties of Caldwell, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan.
The goal is to empower low-income individuals to achieve self-sufficiency. Programs such as energy assistance, emergency direct client services, and rental assistance have helped people and changed lives throughout the Agency’s more than 50-year history.
