By Samantha Strong
Herald contributor
This series was written to bring to light the large number of Oshkosh women who are struggling just to get by – some without any savings, daily essentials or support. Education and awareness are the first steps to dealing with the issue of poverty here but can only go so far. Action needs to be taken to make any progress toward helping the 20,000-plus households struggling in Winnebago County.
Day By Day Warming Shelter founder Tina Haffeman now volunteers at LEAVEN, a nonprofit organization that aims to stabilize and empower Fox Cities residents in financial crisis by providing financial assistance, referrals and case management to take up their near-term and long-term basic needs.
Haffeman said she would like to see a LEAVEN-inspired system in Oshkosh because all resources are housed in one building, without overlap, meaning if someone comes to LEAVEN for help with rent, they can be directed to additional help with utilities, budget counseling, employment, health care options and more simply by walking down the hall. LEAVEN also provides case management and assistance for those interested in taking on the root causes of their poverty and to find a way to self-sufficiency.
Haffeman said she often encounters people, even influential Oshkosh community members, who think this system might do more harm than good, but Haffeman said her experience has shown her that addressing the immediate crisis is crucial so that a person is more ready to make future plans for a better life.
“When some people come to LEAVEN, they often feel desperate, they’re often humiliated to be there,” Haffeman said. “Nobody thinks about or wants to be in poverty. Sure, there are people who come in chronically, but that is a relatively small percentage and they’re referred to programs with professionals who can help. When everybody does better, everybody does better.”
Ways to help
Mary Ann Dilling, Oshkosh Area United Way president and chief executive, said she’s been working with area businesses to better understand the needs of the community and explain how they can help, including employing people of lower incomes, providing more flexible schedules and more inclusive benefits. The function of the United Way is to provide funding for programs and resources that help those in need.
“My job is to go to the companies and tell the story of the biggest challenges in Oshkosh,” Dilling said. “I talk to community leaders and tell them what we’ve observed.”
Dilling said the best starting point for finding resources is 2-1-1, a United Way service that connects those in need with information about community services such as employment, affordable housing, mental health care, dental care, legal aid and child care. Simply dial 2-1-1 on any phone or visit 211now.org.
Dilling said she firmly believes this community can eliminate or at least reduce poverty.
“We care about each other and we want to make a difference — we want to help each other,” she said. “We just need to educate the community because I truly believe people want to help and want to make a difference in this world.”
Mental health, chronic stress
One of the undeniable effects of poverty on someone struggling is chronic or toxic stress and anxiety, according to Doug Gieryn, Winnebago County Department of Health (DOH) director. The DOH is working on an initiative to promote social connectedness and inclusion within the Oshkosh community because getting people connected can help eliminate the social stigmas surrounding poverty and help provide more resources.
“People in poverty tend to have poorer health because of some of the other conditions they face, such as not being able to access transportation, safe housing or having a safe environment,” said Cindy Draws, DOH public health nurse.
Draws said women in poverty face additional health hazards related to pregnancy and childbirth.
“Women in poverty have poorer outcomes in terms of birth and lifetime issues as the child grows, so providing prenatal care is crucial,” she said. “We also do ‘new mom calls’ to give them an introduction to motherhood and tell them some of the community resources.”
Pregnancy and childbirth can affect a woman’s health in a multitude of ways, but for women also struggling with poverty the added stress of limited income can be detrimental to other components of a healthy lifestyle — diet, a safe place to live, dental health, other aspects of health that relate to basic human needs. All of these come into play and impact different parts of someone’s life, which also impacts the child’s life and can continue the cycle of chronic stress, Draws said. Chronic stress for a pregnant woman can also lead to early delivery and a harder start to life.
The DOH works to connect women with any health-related resources they may need, including a baby crib or car seat, prenatal care and mammograms.
For women feeling isolated in their community, stress can take an even bigger toll on their mental and physical health.
“We’ve been working more with social connectedness, recognizing how people in communities may not always feel connected or like they belong, and that’s especially true for people in poverty,” said Lynnsey Erickson, community health strategist with the Winnebago County Department of Health. “People feel like they don’t have the support they need to make the next steps and get the support they need to get out of poverty.”
Erickson said the stigma around mental health paired with the lack of community support makes it even harder to get out of poverty.
“We need to be investing in things in the community that foster that social connectedness like the library,” Erickson said. “The library is where people go to search for jobs and get a better education and teach their kids to read. The library is a big community space and we need to make these types of services easier to access because it will help with that social connectedness piece.”
Mayor Lori Palmeri said she plans to continue promoting this issue in her leadership term, as it is one that impacts just about every aspect of the community. She has put a focus on safe housing and introducing a transportation utility fee that would eliminate large surprise bills for street and sidewalk repair that can potentially give families financial distress.
“The government’s primary job is to protect its citizens and work for the common good,” Haffeman said. “What else could your taxes be better used for than lifting everyone up?”
