Topics

Poverty

• Lappe says democracy is wearing thin
  Frances Moore Lappe, the author and activist best known for her 1971 book "Diet for a Small Planet," says Americans have let their democracy grow "thin" in favor of consumerism. She spoke about her vision for a "living democracy" on Friday in Minneapolis.November 22, 2005
• Rapid refunds can be a ripoff for the poor
  Some commercial tax preparers have faced a barrage of lawsuits over "Rapid Refund" programs. Rapid refunds are short-term loans based on an expected tax refund. Critics say some tax preparers have taken advantage of the poor with those loans.November 14, 2005
• Report: Racial, economic disparities threaten region's economic growth
  The authors of a new report say the gap between the haves and have-nots living in the Twin Cities metro area threatens the economic viability of the entire region.October 27, 2005
• One woman's struggle to pay for the heat
  Many Minnesotans will feel the sting of rising natural gas prices this winter. For those with no flexibility in their budget, heating assistance money is the only thing keeping them from financial ruin.October 14, 2005
• Area food shelves say demand is up, donations are down
  Minnesota's poverty rate has been among the lowest in the nation. But area food shelves say the numbers don't tell the whole story. They say can't keep up with demand.August 29, 2005
• Red Lake kids form youth council to improve life on reservation
  Some of the Red Lake Indian Reservation's brightest young people are coming together to do what they can to tackle the tribe's problems. The goal of the new group, The Red Lake Nation Youth Council, is to create a better life for kids.July 26, 2005
• Ending poverty
  Jeffrey Sachs, director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, says that while globalization may be dragging some parts of the world out of poverty, there are huge areas of the globe that are being completely passed by. In his new book, "The End of Poverty," Sachs says the richest countries in the world could eradicate extreme poverty worldwide for for less than one percent of their annual gross national products.May 10, 2005
• Red Lake tribe preparing to keep kids busy this summer
  Young people on the Red Lake Indian Reservation sometimes complain there's little for them to do once school gets out. But this summer, there may be plenty of other activities to keep kids busy. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in financial help are flowing onto the reservation for summer youth programs. Tribal leaders are now planning ways to use those resources.May 9, 2005
• Red Lake seeks better programs for kids
  Red Lake community members are talking about ways to improve the lives of kids on the reservation. Perhaps the most visible effort involves the Boys and Girls Club. Tribal and club officials hope the national Boys and Girls Clubs will provide funding to help Red Lake's club broaden its impact on kids.April 28, 2005
• Bishops take poverty tour; call for "moral" state budget
  As lawmakers try to close a $700 million deficit, the leaders of the state's two largest religious denominations want to put a human face on potential cuts to human services.January 20, 2005
• Banks say "trust us" on community reinvestment
  Federal officials want to change banking rules that have helped low-income people buy homes and start businesses. Bankers say the rules are a burden, and they can be trusted to reinvest in poor areas on their own.January 10, 2005
• Finalists for Kroc center money advance
  Duluth and St. Paul have moved a step closer to winning millions of dollars to build new community centers to be run by the Salvation Army.January 5, 2005
• South Minneapolis 'wasteland' sprouts new development
  A wave of development is sweeping through one of Minneapolis' poorest neighborhoods. Ground was broken on the city's south side for another phase of the Portland and Franklin Gateway project. The Phillips neighborhood intersection was once plagued with crime. The project grows out of three decades of work started by a group of women from a religious order.November 17, 2004
• Two ex-HUD secretaries, two strategies for reducing poverty
  Two former secretaries for Housing and Urban Development--Jack Kemp and Henry Cisneros--passed through Minnesota recently, and both shared what they claimed were time-tested recipes for reducing poverty. The only catch: the plans they said had proved effective beyond a shadow of a doubt during their times in office were exactly opposite.September 28, 2004
• ACORN: A renegade reputation for helping the poor
  A conference in St. Paul Monday presents what organizers say are successful ideas that organizations have used across the country to reduce poverty. One Twin Cities organization known as ACORN is presenting its methods for winning victories against unscrupulous mortgage lenders. But ACORN has also developed a renegade reputation that has alienated people and organizations that cross its path.September 12, 2004

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