“Overcoming poverty is not a task of charity; it is an act of justice. Like Slavery and Apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings. Sometimes it falls on a generation to be great. YOU can be that great generation. Let your greatness blossom.” ― Nelson Mandela

The Social Development Commission (SDC), NAACP, and its community partners will host the 2016 Poverty Summit with the focus on Dismantling Poverty: A Courageous Conversation.

With the level of poverty continuing to escalate in Milwaukee County, in particular within the City of Milwaukee, it is imperative that this perpetual and growing issue be addressed. Individuals and families living in poverty are faced with staunch challenges and obstacles at several levels – trauma, mental health, inequalities in the education system, limited employment opportunities, lack of access to health care and more.

The SDC Poverty Summit is a community collaboration designed to fully integrate community leaders, local and state government, service providers and practitioners, churches, community volunteers, youth and young adult advocates, and most importantly, the active participation of people impacted by poverty.

Reducing poverty in Milwaukee County will require a long-term effort that can only be successful if it addresses the barriers that prevent individuals and families from moving toward economic stability. It is the responsibility of our entire community to help lift our most vulnerable members out of poverty.

The event will be a launch pad for creating common themes that will serve as the foundation for developing an anti-poverty agenda for implementation.

Please join us with your commitment to the process.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Joyce DeGruy, a nationally and internationally renowned researcher, educator, author and presenter. She is an ambassador for healing and a voice for those who’ve struggled in search of the past, and continue to struggle through the present. Dr. DeGruy will help shape and drive the discussions that are necessary to begin to help heal our community.

Solution-based sessions will include courageous conversations on policies and systems, trauma and Maslow Hierarchy, the Ism’s, and cognitive dissonance.

This forum is to solidify what can be done and who can actively address the solutions that are identified.

About SDC
For more than 50 years, the Social Development Commission has operated as the Community Action Agency for Milwaukee County. SDC serves as a planner, coordinator, and provider of human service programs for low-income individuals and families residing in Milwaukee County. The agency is an intergovernmental commission and is governed by a board of 18 citizens from Milwaukee County, each of whom hold the title of “Commissioner.”