Title
To recognize the 50th anniversary of the War on Poverty.
Body
WHEREAS, President Lyndon Johnson began the War on Poverty when he unveiled his vision for a “Great Society” in his 1964 State of the Union address, which ushered in civil rights reform and called for economic opportunities for all citizens; and
WHEREAS, Community Action Agencies were formed across the country to implement and shepherd those historic reforms; and
WHEREAS, the War on Poverty continues today as more than 100 million people in the United States currently live in poverty, on the brink of poverty, or churn in and out of poverty; and
WHEREAS, nearly 70 percent of those living in poverty in the United States are women and children; and
WHEREAS, each year, Community Action Agencies provide services to more than 15 million low-income people across the country, including 4 million children; and
WHEREAS, in the City of Columbus,15 percent of the civilian labor force, and 34.3 percent of children, live below the poverty level, according to the 2011 U. S. Census American Community Survey; and
WHEREAS, IMPACT Community Action is one of 50 Community Action Agencies in Ohio, and one of more than 1,100 nationally, on the front line in the War on Poverty; and
WHEREAS, IMPACT’s programs and services have evolved with the times while the agency’s core philosophy toward addressing poverty conditions in our community remains unchanged; and
WHEREAS, Community Action Agencies offer custom programs designed to meet the unique needs of specific communities, and empower residents of those communities to become self-sufficient; and
WHEREAS, Community Action Agencies offer programs that assist and encourage children and youth, support the working poor, provide aid in times of crisis, sustain and honor the elderly, and strengthen the family and the community; and
WHEREAS, the nation’s War on Poverty continues to be waged through community action that changes lives, improves communities, embodies the spiri...
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