This study examines the feasibility of adding a proximal outcome survey to a book distribution program. We also examine access to books at home for Grade 3 to 5 students experiencing poverty and relations with reading motivation and reading amount. Finally, we describe students' book preferences by analyzing the difficulty and genres of texts they…

Counselors frequently counsel clients who live in poverty. The authors describe the new CARE model that addresses the influence of multiple systems on poor clients' experiences. A social justice, humanistic intervention, the CARE model emphasizes cultivating a positive counseling relationship with poor clients, empathizing with their unique…

This report describes how children bear the brunt of poverty and explains why they are central to poverty reduction in developing nations. The report also illustrates UNICEF's support for the process of improving access to, and quality of, health care, education, water and sanitation, and child protection. It describes how the participation of the…

In this report, the Rural Sociological Society Task Force on Persistent Rural Poverty presents 11 Pathways from Poverty (PfP) state-team efforts and accomplishments. Education and training are themes that appear here and there throughout the strategies described. Many PfP state teams have formed alliances with state rural development councils that…

Impoverished populations and schools in rural areas face special challenges that are different from other settings. Among these are the distances from social services, the sparse availability of assistance programs, and the shortage of resources to support educational programs and student learning. Rural schools, do, however, have assets that can…

This question-and-answer format paper looks at some of the basic issues surrounding the chronically poor and initiatives and services designed to break the poverty cycle. A first section explores some of the myths and realities surrounding the characteristics of the chronically poor population and notes that this population is comprised of…

"Udbhas," which means "expression," is a non-profit organization founded in 1988 to spread literacy and promote post-literacy education among the underprivileged children in the slums of Calcutta, India. This paper describes the creation, work, and benefits to children of Udbhas. The paper notes that most of the organization's…

The Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), established by Congress in 1965, is a unique partnership of federal, state, and local government action attempting to provide every person living in the region with the health and skills needed to compete in everyday life and to attract new industry to the region, thus providing more jobs and a more…

A study was conducted to examine possible problems in the information dissemination of social aid programs for the poor. Two samples of 141 community leaders and 143 low-income families were selected from a New York county with a high percentage of households in relative poverty and a low percentage in relative affluence. Data gathered from the…

An inner-city Maryland school that serves 610 students coming from 37 different countries and speaking 25 different languages has created a caring, inclusive community by providing kids with incentives, stability, and a chance to celebrate their various cultures at a community exhibition center. Dedicated staff accept no excuses for truancy and…

Discusses the poorest of Aid to Families with Dependent Children recipients--homeless families--and a New York City initiative to help these families gain employment. The paper examines TAG (Train and Gain), a job readiness, training, and placement program designed to prepare these families for the critical transition from welfare to work. (GR)

This report describes the Hotels-Motels in Partnership Program, a human services resource sponsored by the Red Cross and other organizations to respond to housing needs of the homeless, disaster victims, and others in need of emergency assistance. The partnership program involves several hundred businesses in more than 240 communities. Since its…

To serve poor youngsters and their families, South Bay Union School District developed its own preschool campus, the VIP (Very Important Preschoolers) Village. The program depends on strong administrative support, planned staff development, parent involvement, parent education programs, community partnerships, curriculum/assessment alignment, and…

This article describes a grant-funded effort to improve the lives of academically able middle and high school students living in rural poverty. The program, Project Aspire, attempts to increase the number of these children in the most rigorous math and science coursework available in their schools. To that end, Project Aspire assists 14 school…