Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
"Poverty in Orange County: The Issues that Remain" 5 <br /> choices, poor housing, and a lack of regular medical care are factors that <br /> impact the health status of the poor. <br /> Orange County Department of Social Services Director Nancy Coston <br /> made the case that poverty lies not just in salary figures but in the costs <br /> of things that are needed. Families must ask, "Do we have enough <br /> resources to pay for our basic needs?" Housing, healthcare, and daycare <br /> come at a high cost in Orange County. She said that any family could <br /> become impoverished by an unexpected medical or unemployment <br /> crisis. Coston suggested the creation of jobs with more sufficient wages <br /> and job training. <br /> Josh Diem, Program Director for Project Home Start/Inter-Faith Council <br /> for Social Service, said that one of the most important points in Dr. <br /> Dobelstein's speech was that there is a need for social services <br /> professionals to work their way out of their jobs. Diem said that he loves <br /> his job, but he hates that it exists. Social services agencies might <br /> accomplish this by taking discussions like this out into the public and <br /> forcing legislative officials to talk about the issues. He was saddened <br /> that the cost of living in Orange County was so high that some of the <br /> people who work in Orange County cannot afford to live in the county. <br /> Rev. Sharon Freeland, Director of Orange Congregations in Mission, said <br /> that Orange County is prosperous, but that it contains many poor <br /> people. She found that poverty had become too intellectualized. She <br /> challenged the officials and professors to come to northern Orange <br /> County to see the extent of the lack of resources. She said that the real <br /> story of poverty should be told. She is currently trying to put together <br /> packages to help people drawing upon churches, social services, and <br /> other agencies. <br /> Director of Orange County Department on Aging, Jerry Passmore, began <br /> by saying that all of the human services in the world mean nothing to <br /> low-income persons and families in the community if they cannot get to <br /> the services. All of the efforts to employ low-income persons and <br /> families are useless if they cannot get to the jobs. He said that if we are <br /> to solve the poverty issue today, the issue of transportation must be <br /> dealt with (steps he mentioned are shown in the table below). <br />