In hopes of engaging community partners outside the city, leaders of the Rochester-Monroe Anti-Poverty Initiative will meet with the public in Penfield Tuesday night.
“I’m really looking to provide an overview of the work that we’ve done and to do some level setting,” said Leonard Brock, the group’s director.
Besides identifying a clear set of goals, the “work” hasn’t officially begun. The initiative’s overall objective is to cut local poverty in half within 15 years. Brock said implementation is scheduled for later this year, with September being the target start month. He describes the upcoming launch as one that will be “very aggressive” compared to similar anti-poverty efforts across the country. Brock said this will be the group’s first town-hall meeting held in a suburban community.
“This is a regional effort. It’s not a city effort. And that’s one of the things I want to emphasize,” he said.
Out of more than 30 recommendations received through interviews, focus groups and various work groups over the last year, the initiative has prioritized three. “Mentors for Success” will start things off this fall. The adult mentoring and navigation program aims to help 300 working poor families.
They will also look to coordinate and better align the social services system here. Brock described the industry as one with a “silo” mentality, a mind-set that doesn’t share information and may ultimately reduce efficiency and morale. He wants to break that cycle.
The third priority is to roll out an early childhood support strategy, which includes in-home parent education, training, and childcare.
The initiative expects to be funded by two pots of state money. Brock plans to apply for a $2.75 million grant as part of the Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative; the governor’s new regional anti-poverty effort modeled after Rochester’s initiative. And $500, 000, which was promised to the group at its inception last year, is meant to get its operations off the ground and pay staff. Brock isn’t aware of when they will receive the funds.
“It’s state funding so there’s no telling. That’s why United Way has been a great organization to house us and serve as a fiscal agent. They can help float and support those costs,” he said.
Having previously lived well below the poverty line, Brock identifies with the people his group intends to serve. His view of the collective impact of a partnership with the suburbs is steadfast. But, he said, the initiative hasn’t lost its primary focus.
“There is a significant need for us to concentrate efforts to break the concentration of poverty that does exist in the city. We’re not remiss or negligent of that. But with so much focus centered on the city, we wanted to make sure that we cover all bases and start to address other parts of the area.”
The free town-hall meeting will be held from 6:00 to 8:00pm on Tuesday, August 2 at Eastside YMCA, located at 1835 Fairport Nine Mile Point Road.
