No man stands so tall as when he stoops to help a child.  –Abraham Lincoln 

Poverty is a social illness that creates many other challenges.  Illiteracy is one of them.  Hunger is another. Crime rates and illegal drug usage are still others.  Despair is among the worst of the symptoms.  It does not respect good will or good intentions.  There are no cure-alls, but there are ways out of poverty.  Staying in school is one of the best answers for our kids.  It is also something that can be achieved when a community works together to make it happen.  

Those living in poverty are the first to get hurt and the last to get help.  Our town is no exception.  With a population of 40,000 and a 15 percent poverty rate, that means 6,000 residents must live in poverty.  If only 1 in 10 of that number are children, we have 600 kids who face a very tough life vis-à-vis their peers.  Whether to stay in school should not be one of them.  Education is the best way out of poverty.  Often it is the only way out.  Dropping out is not the solution, but that option soon looks very tempting to those in high school.  

While there are indeed other needs and other programs designed to meet those needs, there are still 50 kids that enter public schools each year with the extra burden of poverty on them.  Those same 50 kids who face their final year of high school are particularly vulnerable.  We cannot help every problem arising from poverty, but we can help those 50 kids stay in school and graduate.  A million dollar fund will not produce miracles, but it will help those who need it most.  

The Goal:  It does not require a miracle to achieve a 5 or 6 percent return on $1 million investment every year.  That rate of return will produce $50,000 and that will provide $1,000 to help each of those 50 kids.  Keeping this fund with a minimum balance of $1 million will make it last a long time, perhaps in perpetuity. That is the plan.  It is do-able.  

Phase One would be to raise $10,000 in start up money.  Raising $1 million is a bit more difficult.  But when it is broken down into smaller goals, that total is reachable.  If 100 concerned residents and businesses pitched in $100 each, that total could be achieved quickly.  But that is only start up money. 

Phase Two would be to reach $100,000.  That goal would require the efforts of many people working together.  It would require raising a little more than $4,000 per month for 24 months.  A variety of ways are open including sponsors, marathons, and other activities.  It could and should involve kids who can come up with many other ways to raise cash. 

Phase Three would be to raise the other $900,000+.  It could be done in 5 years at $200,000 per year.  One way would be to ask residents to include this fund in their Wills and in their life insurance proceeds.  If 3,000 residents committed $1,000 each in their estate planning, a flow of funds could begin.  That source could be supplemented by larger businesses with their own internal plans.   

The questions that remain are these:  Are there 100 businesses that are willing to sign on as sponsors?  Are their 500 individuals who will do the same?  It’s a community responsibility.  If we can get the word out, we can get the job done.  Let’s don’t forget the kids.  And remember:  Those who think that education is costly, need only look at the cost of poverty.