Local leaders are planning a “community solutions meeting” to be held at Alderson Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 24. This local meeting is one of more than 70 that are taking place in living rooms, community centers, church basements and other locations across the state. The purpose of these meetings is two-fold: one, to support the work that is already going on in communities across the state to fight child poverty; and two, to engage new partners in impactful action at the local and state level. “These meetings are not about talk. They are about action. Folks who come will leave with concrete ways they can fight child poverty in their neighborhoods,” said Stephen Smith with the WV Healthy Kids and Families Coalition, one of the statewide organizations that is part of the Our Children, Our Future Campaign. “It could be anything from registering voters to helping draft statewide policy to starting a community garden to educating our friends and neighbors about the Affordable Care Act.” The community meeting is one of 70+ that are being organized by the Our Children, Our Future Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of 160+ partners that includes groups ranging from local churches and parent groups to the WV AFL-CIO and the Chamber of Commerce. In the 2013 session, the Campaign achieved five concrete victories - through statewide action - and is attempting to build on that success. And in September, the Campaign held a Policy Symposium in Charleston - led by kids and families in poverty, as well as community leaders from around the state - to lay out for the legislature 18 possible policy proposals that could affect child poverty (from increasing physical activity in schools to a statewide earned income tax credit). One purpose of the community meetings is to begin to vet those proposals at the local level. The Alderson forum will be held at Alderson Elementary School on Thursday, Oct. 24 from 3 to 5 p.m. All community members are encouraged to attend. The forum will be facilitated by organizers of the Our Children, Our Future Campaign. Questions may be directed to kjohnson@ncr.org.
