Collective action to address poverty

January 21, 2015

SOLANO COUNTY – The Solano Safety Net Summit Steering Committee and Rise Together Bay Area will co-host the Solano Safety Net Summit #8 on Thurs., Jan. 29 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Solano Events Center, 601 Texas St. in Fairfield. The discussion will focus on current action plans and gathering input into future plans to reduce poverty in Solano County and throughout the bay area and is open to the public.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's Small Area Income and Poverty Estimate 2013, 13 percent of Solano County’s overall population is living below the federal poverty level.  Also, living below poverty in the county are about 18 percent of children under the age of 18 and 7.5 percent of seniors age 65 years and over.

"Poverty is an issue that we can all be a part of solving," said Larry Sly, Executive Director of Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano County. “It is an issue that affects public policies and programs, families, and individuals of all ages and races.”

The Safety Net Summit workgroups are implementing strategies to combat poverty in various areas including: community schools, summer jobs for youth, employment, food security, seniors in poverty and early childhood literacy.

“Not having enough income to pay for healthy, nutritious food is one of many problems for the working-poor,” says Sly, who co-coordinates the work group focusing on food security. “Sometimes it’s a matter of increasing access to free or affordable food because the majority of their income is used for rent and transportation to get to and from work.”

Along with focusing on different aspects of poverty, the local effort has partnered with Rise Together Bay Area to align key strategies to move families and communities out of poverty in the bay area region. Rise Together will co-host the Summit.

“Solano County is a leader in the Bay Area through their collective work to cut poverty,” says Christina Arrostuto, Executive Director of Rise Together. “We’re looking forward to sharing the results of Rise Together’s economic research, and getting input from our Solano partners on how to best address poverty across the region.”

The Summit also welcomes a keynote speaker, Colleen Erdes, Executive Director of Vacaville’s Opportunity House. She will be sharing her experience and exposure with poverty and her journey to becoming the Executive Director of the homeless shelter that once helped her.

Since its inception in April 2010, the Solano Safety Net Summits on Poverty, which consists of a variety of organizations, government leaders, and other community partners, has been working diligently to brainstorm and implement innovative ways to address poverty issues in Solano County. The group is funded by grants from Rise Together Bay Area, Kaiser Permanente, and First 5 Solano along with in-kind support from participating agencies.

For more information or to register for the event, contact Amanda Holmes at First 5 Solano at 707-784-1336 or [email protected].

For more information about the Solano Safety Net Summit and Steering Committee, contact Megan Richards at 707-784-1335 or [email protected].