Midwest Families Struggle to Make Ends Meet

In this archive photo, ice forms on the face of a homeless man who did not want to be named in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The long-term recession has left some homeless, and many families trying to cope with less, and cherish what they have. (Darren Hauck/Getty Images)

MADISON, Wis.—The National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week in mid-November, highlighted a growing concern for those in dire need of basic necessities. In the Midwest, nonprofit organizations offering services to those in need have seen an increasing number of people applying for aid.

The amount given to the food-share program in Wisconsin has doubled from 2008 to over $947 million as of October 2011. Yet, cuts in funding for the food-share program are expected in 2012.

Women and children are increasingly seeking assistance in homeless and emergency shelters. Homeless shelters in Dane County, Wis., had to turn away more than 3,000 people this year due to overcrowding.

The National Center for Children in Poverty states, “Although children in poverty has increased 12 percent nationally since 2000, the rise in the Midwest was a stunning 29 percent.” In Dane County,Wis., the percentage of children receiving food assistance in some elementary schools has risen to almost 50 percent.

A Brookings Institute report released early November states that in the Midwest, poverty levels have doubled, and in some areas, have grown by a third.

The current recession has hit the Midwestern region of the United States hardest. The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce states, “Since the recession began in 2007, the Midwest has lost 610,000 jobs in manufacturing—nearly a third (31 percent) of all manufacturing jobs lost during the recession nationally.”

Coping with Poverty

Fifty-eight percent of Americans will experience poverty at some point in their lives. Whether through a financial setback or personal misfortune, middle-class families under the recession have seen lower income levels, benefits dropped, a poor job market, and higher costs in education.

Those already below the poverty line have seen essential programs cut that address homelessness, hunger, and medical care under reduced government spending.

Meanwhile, these organizations have seen a sharp increase in the use of their services to those in need. The Community Action Coalition provides assistance and consultation to provide adequate housing, food, clothing assistance, and transportation services.

Katie Castern, manager of Agency Development at the Community Action Coalition (CAC) for South Central Wisconsin said, “It’s about self-sufficiency and getting people back on their feet. The CAC helps to provide services for those in need.”