The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty is observed annually on October 17th. The day primarily aims to raise awareness about the need to eradicate poverty.
The United Nations has declared the Day’s theme for 2022-23 as “Dignity for All in Practice.” This theme reminds us that human dignity is the fundamental right that forms the basis of all other rights. To persist in the face of poverty requires daily strength and courage. To live in poverty is to face the indignities of deprivation—and sometimes to find oneself or one’s experience dismissed, denied, or disrespected.
The day reminds us that there is nothing inevitable about poverty and inequality. At a structural level, they are the result of deliberate decisions—actions or inactions chosen by those who have wealth and power, impacting those who do not. The impacts fall heaviest on children, low-wage workers, people with disabilities, and the elderly. About 13% of Americans, 12% of Californians, and 16% of Santa Barbara County residents live in poverty. While eliminating poverty at a structural level might be beyond the reach of ordinary people, reducing and ameliorating it in the community is possible.
Read on to learn more!
In the U.S., the most powerful tools to help are the primary federally-funded safety net programs—known in California as CalWORKs, CalFresh, and Medi-Cal. All three are administered locally by County Departments of Social Services.
CalFresh provides food aid to people with low incomes. Research indicates that it reduces hunger, improves health, reduces child poverty, improves graduation rates and lifetime earnings for children, and benefits local employment and business. CalFresh serves over 50,000 of your neighbors a year.
Medi-Cal provides health care coverage to people with low incomes. This is crucial because medical care is expensive, medical debt is a leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S., and deferring health care due to cost can lead to more serious health problems. Medi-Cal serves over 170,000 of your neighbors a year.
CalWORKs is designed to reduce child poverty, partly by direct cash aid and partly by the removal of barriers to work such as childcare and transportation. It interfaces with America’s Job Centers of California to provide job search and training services. CalWORKs serves over 6,500 of your neighbors a year.
Nonprofit relief programs also play a key role in reducing poverty. For example, Foodbank provides food aid for people with low incomes in Santa Barbara County, and administers federal summer meal programs for kids when school isn’t in session. United Way supports programs to help children overcome learning loss and help adults exit poverty.
Other promising approaches to prevent poverty and help people exit poverty include increased access to education and training, improved wages, affordable housing, and expanded access to health care.
This October 17, we salute everyone here at DSS. Your work helps reduce poverty and its impacts for thousands of your neighbors each year, making our County a better place to live for all.