Tom Mulloy

National Director of Poverty Programs

National Council of the United States Society of St. Vincent de Paul

A Webinar of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul National Voice of the Poor Committee

October 18, 2018

Lord God, as the election approaches, we seek to better understand the issues and concerns that confront our city/state/country, and how the Gospel compels us to respond as faithful citizens in our community.

We ask for eyes that are free from blindness so that we might see each other as brothers and sisters, one and equal in dignity, especially those who are victims of abuse and violence, deceit and poverty.

We ask for ears that will hear the cries of children unborn and those abandoned, men and women oppressed because of race or creed, religion or gender.

We ask for minds and hearts that are open to hearing the voice of leaders who will bring us closer to your Kingdom.

We pray for discernment so that we may choose leaders who hear your Word, live your love,and keep in the ways of your truth as they follow in the steps of Jesus and his Apostlesand guide us to your Kingdom of justice and peace.

We ask this in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.Amen.

USCCB Prayer Before an Election: usccb.org/prayer-and-worship/prayers-and-devotions/prayers/prayer-before-an-election.cfm

“Yours must be a work of love, of kindness, you must give your time, your talents, yourselves. The poor person is a unique person of God’s fashioning with an inalienable right to respect.

You must not be content with tiding the poor over the poverty crisis; You must study their condition and the injustices which brought about such poverty, with the aim of a long term improvement.”

3

Family SizeAnnualIncome

Single, Working-age Adult $12,800

with One Child $16,900

Adult Couple $16,400

with one child $19,800

with two children $25,700

with three children $29,200

census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf

Family SizeAnnualIncome

Basic Security(2x Poverty)

Single, Working-age Adult $12,800 $25,600

with One Child $16,900 $33,800

Adult Couple $16,400 $32,800

with one child $19,800 $39,600

with two children $25,700 $51,400

with three children $29,200 $58,400

Determine Basic Economic Security for your area: livingwage.mit.edu/

Poverty rate 12.3% … 39.7 million people

Third consecutive yearly decline

12.8 million children… 17.5%

Lowest child poverty in over a decade (2006)

22% of population; 32% of people in poverty

9.3% of families in poverty... 7.8 million

5.7% Deep Poverty

47% of people in poverty

6census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf

8.8% of Americans medically uninsured

Full-time, year-round employment increased

by 2.4 million workers

FT/FY Poverty 2.2%

PT/PY Poverty 14.7%

No Work 30.5%

Median household income $61,000

7

census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-263.pdf

8

7%

9%

11%

13%

15%

17%

19%

21%

23%

201720162015201420132012201120102009200820072006200520042003200220012000

All

Children

Families

9

Poverty higher…

13.9% vs. 12.3%

Child Poverty falls…

15.6% vs. 17.5%

Senior Poverty higher…

14.1% vs. 9.3%

census.gov/library/publications/2018/demo/p60-265.html

Remember that Basic Economic Security threshold? …

43 percent of all Americans

52 percent of all American Children

10

3.3%

1.7%

-0.2%

-1.0%

-1.0%

-1.1%

-2.6%

-8.4%

-10.0% -8.0% -6.0% -4.0% -2.0% 0.0% 2.0% 4.0%

MedicalExpenses

WorkExpenses

Cash Welfare(TANF)

HousingSubsidies

Supp. Security(SSI)

Food Stamps(SNAP)

Low-IncomeTax Credits

SocialSecurity

Effect on Poverty of Select Programs

11

12

cbpp.org/research/poverty-and-inequality/progress-on-income-and-poverty-continued-into-2017-but-abruptly

13

povertyusa.org/data/2016

14

factfinder.census.gov/

Marinette, Wisconsin

15

16

17

18

Resources for State and Local Data

• Unemployment

Bureau of Labor Statistics

• Housing

National Alliance to End Homelessness

National Low Income Housing Coalition

• Hunger

Feeding America

“Where injustice, inequality,

poverty or exclusion are due to

unjust economic, political or

social structures or to inadequate

or unjust legislation,

the Society should speak out

clearly against the situation,

always with charity, with the aim

of contributing to and

demanding improvements.”

(7.6)

19

20

Sign up for alerts: votervoice.net/SVDPUSA/home

3. Advocate for and work

towards a more just world

G1: Inspire membership to

embrace Catholic Social

Teaching

G2: Establish SVDP as a

thought leader on poverty

and justice

G3: Be a Voice for the Poor

at national, state and local

levels

21

svdpusa.org/vop

Position Papers

Presentations

Tips for Starting and

Growing a Local

Committee

Other Resources

22

Tom Mulloy tmulloy@svdpusa.org

Charity is the Samaritan who pours oil on the wounds of the

traveler who has been attacked. But, it is justice’s role to prevent

the attacks.

-Blessed Frédéric Ozanam