White Sulphur Springs, MT

As we draw toward the end of our Capacity Building and Community Action phase, it is perhaps, a good time to reflect on what has occurred throughout the Horizons process in White Sulphur Springs.  The next 12 blogs will address White Sulphur’s experiences with the key elements of Horizons.

 So…In what ways has the community attitude about poverty changed?  This is, perhaps, the most significant question that we have addressed through Horizons.  When we started Horizons in WSS, many questioned whether anyone would participate in discussions about poverty.  To recruit for study circles, the topic of poverty was minimized so that people were not intimidated and afraid to engage in the conversations about our community.  Now, we talk openly about poverty, and we recognize that at least half of the people in any meeting that is help are living at or below the poverty level.  The perception has shifted from poverty conversations being restricted to only some residents or certain ‘pockets’ of town, to a more general understanding that poverty is a reality for most in our community.

Evidence in this shift in thinking can be seen throughout the community.  Three recent examples include - at a state-wide meeting on climate change, a representative from Meagher voiced concern that the concepts of regulating changes to homes and vehicles to make them more “green” might have implications for impoverished communities, like White Sulphur.  At a May 19 meeting of the Chamber of Commerce, discussion of the local circus coming to town involved a conversation about the large number of kids in the community that could use free or reduced price passes because they could not afford to attend without assistance.  Outreach to local businesses to sponsor tickets for kids is planned.  The city council is considering changing the structure for trash collection in the community.  The variable that they are trying to manage are 1) getting trash out of the community so that health and human safety concerns are mitigated 2) implementing changes, while trying not to negatively impact impoverished families.

While these examples are small stories of small changes, they reflect a distinct shift in our conversations about poverty.

How are the Meagher County Community Foundation plans to beautify the area related to poverty reduction?  Let us count the ways!  Check out the following website for links to university research that demonstrates that green space and community beautification contributes to many important aspects of our community - ranging from better student achievement, higher levels of personal self esteem for community members, and increased sense of community!

http://www.projectevergreen.com/whygreenmatters/lifestyle.html

Horizons Steering Committee member, Sarah Calhoun, found some research that demonstrates the importance of clean up and beautification for White Sulphur Springs.  Thanks for this information, Sarah!

How Plants Help Communities - When trees are planted, communities grow
A scientific study at the Human - Environment Research Laboratory, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has demonstrated that green views and access to open green spaces in urban areas may in fact, help to restore attention and relieve everyday pressures of living in poverty.

For more information, check:

http://www.americainbloom.org/Default.aspx?CategoryId=63

This happened by accident!  In trying to help us determine what types of planters might work in White Sulphur, Brian Obert with Gateway Economic Development, pulled together photos of town in Montana with different types of planters.  He then pulled in pictures of White Sulphur to see where we could put the planters.  What we noticed is that White Sulphur looks like a ghost town!!!  See the next blog about research related to green spaces and poverty to understand more about how helping out our Main Street is helping to move us out of the duldrums!

Economist Article

This article, which was written in the Economist,in December 2006, ranks Meagher County as the poorest county in the United States, based on wages.  While US Census numbers suggest poverty rates for the county are only at about 17%, some calculate that poverty rates within the community of White Sulphur Springs are as high as 50%.  This estimate is substantiated by the April 2007 Free and Reduced Lunch program at the school, where a full 50% of students qualified for the program due to their poverty status. 

 As the article notes, the amazing thing about poverty in our Western counties, is that, “most people do not think of themselves as being poor.”  Because a full one in two people in White Sulphur could qualify as being “poor” by goverment definitions, strategies for addressing poverty in Meagher are really about helping the entire community.  Reducing feelings of scarcity and increasing opportunities for people to succeed are key in moving forward to address poverty.