After three years of steep increases, new numbers show America's poverty rate actually declined slightly last year from 15.1% to 15%, But a record number of people remain in poverty, and the gap between the rich and the poor is getting larger.
Experts expected America's poverty rate to continue to climb, so even a slight decrease is good news. Breaking the cycle of poverty in Albany is the goal of Strive to Thrive, an organization that helped Jeanette Miles and her family. "I refuse to let my children suffer in a way I had to suffer," said Miles.
The mother of two says she grew up below the poverty line and decided she didn't want the same for her Children. She Joined Strive 2 Thrive in 2010. "It was a struggle and I felt like finding a program or finding help would help my children as well as myself get out of poverty," said Miles.
Darton State College Economics professor Aaron Johnson says the slight decline in the poverty rate is due to the "working poor" working more hours.
"More people are working full-time among the working poor and so they lifted themselves just modestly out of poverty," said Johnson.
Johnson says technology replacing the working middle class is one reason for the bum economy and until Southwest Georgia can adapt to change, the region may have more dark days ahead.
"Until we become more confident in technology, computers and science, especially here in the Southwest Georgia region it'll be difficult to overcome that in the short-term," said Johnson.
But Miles has a word of advice for anyone struggling with poverty. "Pray and keep hope alive. Just don't give up because if I can make it any one else can make it."
She wants more people to take advantage of programs like Strive 2 Thrive in hopes of a better tomorrow for Southwest Georgia.
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Jeanette Miles
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