Minnesota Poverty:

Call to Action

May 1, 2014

A Personal LBJ Story

SOME Unfinished REALITIES

2014 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) Guidelines for the 48 contiguous states & the District of Columbia

Published January 22, 2014

For families/households with more than 8 people, add $4,060 for each additional person.

# in family 100% FPL 138% FPL 200% FPL 275% FPL

1 $11,670 $16,105 $23,340 $32,093

2 $15,730 $21,707 $31,460 $43,258

3 $19,790 $27,310 $39,580 $54,423

4 $23,850 $32,913 $47,700 $65,588

5 $27,910 $38,516 $55,820 $76,753

6 $31,970 $44,119 $63,940 $87,918

7 $36,030 $49,721 $72,060 $99,083

8 $40,090 $55,324 $80,180 $110,248

Poverty in Minnesota

2008 506,000

2009 563,000

2010 599,516

2011 621,970

2012 598,371

(US Census Bureau)

Poverty and Race2012

2012 Minnesota Poverty and Median Income by

Race/Ethnicity Poverty RateAll Minnesotans 11.4 percent

White (non-Hispanic) 8.1 percent

Black/African-American 37.8 percent

Asian 15.9 percent

American Indian 31.9 percent

Hispanic/Latino 25.7 percent

U.S. Census Bureau, 2013; Minnesota Budget Project

These new numbers show that not all Minnesotans are benefiting equally from the state’s relative success.

Child Poverty2000-2010

Child Poverty in Minnesota

2010: 192,000 (15.2%)

62% increase from 2000-2010

2011:194,000

2012: 177,578 (14.6%)

Child Poverty Rates by Race and Ethnicity

All Chi

ldre

n

Whi

te chi

ldre

n

Asian

chi

ldre

n

Hispa

nic ch

ildre

n

African

Am

erican

chi

ldre

n

Amer

ican

Indi

an chi

ldre

n 0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

15%

9%

23%

30%

46%49%

Source: American Community Survey

Income Inequality

Causes of Poverty

Recognize causes of poverty:

Individual

Community

Exploitation

Structural

Addressing Poverty

Through To Address CausesService Individual

Education Community

Advocacy Exploitation

Structural

A Minnesota Without Poverty Response

We believe there is enough

for all to have enough,

if we all do our part.

BuildOrganizeMobilize

A statewide movementto end poverty in Minnesota by 2020

A Minnesota Without Poverty

All Sectors of Society

Faith Community

Government

Business/Employers

People in poverty

Communities of Color

Education

Non-Profits and

Foundations

A Common Foundation: Shared Principles for

Work on Overcoming Poverty

Originated in 2004 in the Saint Paul Area Synod of the ELCA and signed by 35 religious leaders

FIRST PRINCIPLE: We believe it is the Creator’s intent that all people are provided those things that protect human dignity and make for healthy life: adequate food and shelter, meaningful work, safe communities, healthcare, and education.

Bi-partisan bill to create

Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020

Used the “Common Foundation”

as the text for the bill

2006

Public Launching of recommendations

Legislative Commission to End Poverty in Minnesota by 2020

2009

Legislative Commission to End Poverty recommendations:

Restore work as a means out of poverty Refocus public assistance to streamline

services Help Minnesotans build and maintain financial

assets Revitalize communities through

infrastructure Modernize system of education Develop ongoing structure to monitor efforts

AMWP WORK

2013-2019

GOALS: 2013-2019

Connecting to End PovertyMicro-Enterprise PartnershipsPublic Engagement to build Public WillOrganizational Capacity

Connecting to End Poverty

Moving the Legislative Commission to End Poverty Recommendations

Forward in the Legislature

Connecting to End Poverty

Convenings with leaders of 50+ organizations 13 identified issues from the LCEP 2 Legislative priorities to work on together

Connecting to End Poverty

2013 Legislative Priorities

Family Economic Security Act Raise minimum wage to $9.50 Childcare assistance Working Family Credit

Poverty Impact Projection (PIP)Assesses the effect that proposed policy

would have on the number of people in poverty.

Connecting to End Poverty

What happened in 2013 when the House passed a minimum wage

increase of $9.50

And

The Senate passed a minimum wage increase of $7.75?

ANSWER?

WE TURNED TO KETCHUPBeginning the

Ketchup to the Cost of Living Campaign

Minimum Wage

Ketchup Distribution to Senators

Friday, May 10, 2013

Connecting to End Poverty

Third CONVENING

OCTOBER 2, 2013

Preparing for the 2014 Legislative Session

IDENTIFIED 3 PRIORITY ISSUES

Connecting to End Poverty

2014 Legislative Priorities Raise the minimum wage to $9.50 by 2015 Implement the $110 MFIP monthly housing

assistance grant that is scheduled to go into effect in July 2015

Lead a year-long educational process on Economic Income Inequality

Connecting to End Poverty

First Legislative Priority-

Raising the Minimum Wage to $9.50

First Recommendation of LCEP

Restore work as a means out of poverty Ensure that work pays (raise the minimum

wage to $9.50)

Improves economic security for 137,000 Minnesota children of low wage earners

Improves the income of 202,000 working women

What $9.50 NOW means:

What $9.50 means:

Improves the income of 325,000 working Minnesotans across the demographic spectrum

Injects an additional $472 million a year

in consumer spending into our

state’s economy.

AMWP’s Ketchup to the Cost of Living Campaign

Ketchup to the Cost of Living t-shirts and wristbands Ketchup Kids Save the Day Video Ketchup to the Cost of Living Toolkits and Postcards Ketchup to the Cost of Living Forums (14 sites) Minimum Wage Coalition Ketchup to the Cost of Living FLASHMOB

Ketchup to the Cost of Living T-shirts

Ketchup Kids Save the Day VIDEO

Ketchup to the Cost of Living FLASHMOB

CONNECTING TO END POVERTYFIRST PRIORITY ISSUE—DONE!!!!

Minimum Wage Bill Signing—April 14, 2014

Connecting to End PovertyThird Priority Issue:

Educational Process on Income Inequality

Second GOAL in our WORK

Initiating Micro-Enterprise Partnerships

Micro-Enterprise Partnershipsaddress 3 of Legislative Commission’s

recommendations:

Restore work as a means out of poverty Help Minnesotans build and maintain

financial assets Revitalize communities through

infrastructure

Micro-Enterprise Partnerships

Congregations or other community groups

Rural communities Immigrant communities Communities of color

First Micro-Enterprise Partnership

The Art Shoppe at Midtown Global Market

Partners: Mount Olive Lutheran Church and Jewish Community Relations Council and 7 artists

Micro-Enterprise Partnerships

Wadena Micro-Enterprise Partnership

Micro-Enterprise PartnershipsR & B MEP

North MinneapolisPartners: Redeemer Lutheran Church

Bethlehem Lutheran Church

Business Mentor Training—March 16, 2013

Micro-Enterprise PartnershipsR & B MEP

North Minneapolis

Training for business mentors-March 2013

Micro-Enterprise PartnershipsR & B MEP

North Minneapolis

Entrepreneur Training

Training for 21 entrepreneurs began April 5, 2014

Micro-Enterprise PartnershipsLift-Off MEP

Excelsior

Partner congregation:

Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, Excelsior

WHAT’S NEXT?

2019- 2014

Goals for 2014-2019

Statewide leader in the movement to end poverty and catalyst for coordinated action

Connecting to End Poverty (with 50+ organizations) to move LCEP recommendations

2014 Legislative PRIORITY: Educational process on Economic

Income Inequality

Goals for 2014-2019

Micro-Enterprise Partnerships as lab for leadership and innovation

Goals for 2014-2019

Statewide Public Engagement Campaign to build public will to end poverty

Statewide communications and

marketing strategy Coordination across all sectors Education, messaging, measurement

Statewide Public Engagement Campaign

Across Sectors

Faith Community

Government

Business/Employers

People in poverty

Communities of Color

Education

Non-Profits and

Foundations

Goals for 2014-2019

Adequate capacity for completion of strategic plan

Staff capacity Board development Funding capacity

Who is Doing the Work?

Board of Directors, 1 ½ staff, partner staff, 3 interns,

Workgroups: Arts Micro-Enterprise Development Public Policy Public Engagement

Statewide Organizing Team

And Many Partner Organizations

…the fullness of time…

What can you do?

Contact your legislators and thank them. They mustard the courage and compassion to ketchup to the cost of living by raising the minimum wage to $9.50. Now more Minnesotans can relish a better life.

What can you do?

Sponsor a discussion group using the Minnesota Church Ladies videos and conversation guide

Volunteer to staff The Art Shoppe at Midtown Global Market once or twice a month (4 hour shift)

What can you do?

What can you do?

What can you do?

Support the work of A Minnesota Without Poverty by giving a financial donation or joining a workgroup.

What can you do?

Encourage your congregation or organization to be a partner in a Micro-Enterprise Partnership.

Micro-Enterprise Partnership

Goal: Provide opportunities for small business development among people who are experiencing poverty in local communities

QUESTIONS?Comments?

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Connecting to End Poverty: What should be the next major public policy we work on together—that will move us toward ending poverty in Minnesota?

Statewide Public Engagement: Pick one sector of society and suggest a message that will communicate to build the public will to end poverty.

We believe there is enough

for all to have enough,

if we all do our part.