|
 Poverty
is one of the greatest challenges faced by residents of the District
of Columbia. The gap between rich and poor has widened dramatically
over the past few decades. According to a report presented by the United
Planning Organization, in the late 1990s, the average income for the
wealthiest one-fifth of families was 27 times higher than for the poorest
one-fifth. A shrinking population base has resulted in more entrenched
pockets of poverty in more areas of the District. One in three children
in the District was living in poverty in 1996. More children are being
raised in single parent homes, a factor that adds to the chances of
being poor.
More than half (54 percent) of all families with children in the
District are headed by a single mother, and a single mother with children
is five times more likely than a married couple with children to be
poor (33 percent vs. 6 percent, respectively).
The cycle of poverty rages on in the nation's capital. In 1998, 114,000
people in the District of Columbia were living in poverty. This represents
22.3% of the population. Because poverty often erodes the support systems
and resources that are available in the community, individuals and families
are often daunted in their efforts to improve their standards of living.
Unemployment is one of the factors that perpetuates the cycle of
poverty. According to the United States Department of Labor, the civilian
labor force in the District stands at nearly 300,000 people. In January
2001, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.1%, much
higher than the national average of 4.2%. In that month, Washington,
D.C. was tied with Alaska for the highest unemployment rate among U.S.
States.
Despite the challenges facing these individuals, studies have shown
that people are willing to seek out the training they need when the
opportunity exists. According to the 1997 National Survey of America's
Families, "a greater share of welfare recipients-around one in four-invested
in new work skills each year than was true of adults generally." Unfortunately,
among welfare recipients, those who dropped out of high school were
the least likely to participate in training programs. This is due, in
no small part, to the barriers imposed by their limited education and
lack of relevant work experience.
Citiwide helps students overcome these barriers by providing them
with the basic skills necessary to complete technical certification
programs and to acquire positions that are economically empowering and
financially and emotionally rewarding. By offering, not only technical
programs, but also training in foundational, thinking, and life skills,
Citiwide prepares its students for rewarding experiences in the hi-tech
world.
DeVita, Carol J., Manjarrex, Carlos A., and Twombly, Eric C. "Poverty
in the District of Columbia-Then and Now." Washington, D.C.: The Urban
Institute, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, February 2001.
Grier, George. Poverty in the District of Columbia: Facts and Figures.
Washington, D.C.: Greater Washington Research Center, November 1993.
DeVita, Carol J., Manjarrex, Carlos A., and Twombly, Eric C. "Poverty
in the District of Columbia-Then and Now." Washington, D.C.: The Urban
Institute, Center on Nonprofits and Philanthropy, February 2001.
Press Release: "Regional and State Employment and Unemployment: January
2001." Washington D.C.: United States Department of Labor, Bureau of
Labor Statistics, March 1, 2001.
Bell, Stephen H. "The Prevalence of Education and Training Activities
among Welfare and Food Stamp
|
