Mission

Pocket Full of Change‘s Mission

It’s a big, bad world out there, especially in the past year, when global economic turmoil has affected almost every facet of human life. No one knows these hardships better than those living below poverty levels, a situation that far too many people are forced to deal with on a daily basis. As Americans, we often forget that some families consistently struggle with affording essentials like food and housing, although many of these families live in our own proverbial backyards. Tompkins County is one of the most afflicted areas in New York state, with 19.2% of the county’s population living in poverty (compared with the 13.8% of New York state residents, according to the 2007 Census), but because Ithaca is the epitome of a college town, the effects of this are rarely seen.

Despite these statistics, Tompkins County has a surprisingly active non-profit sector, which includes many institutions that work to help people in dire financial situations. These groups, who raise awareness about homelessness, hunger through food drives, advocacy campaigns and fundraising events, stand as examples that there is hope.

Pocket Full of Change is dedicated to examining poverty in Tompkins County by discussing the missions, events and strategies of these non-profit aid organizations. By looking at their work and telling the stories of the families who benefit from it, we hope to explore how the poor are kept in powerless positions, ways people are already helping and how others can contribute with their own “pockets full of change.”