Kulongoski Speaks at Chemeketa: Addressing Poverty Through Education

He will discuss his personal experiences with poverty and his plans to aid the economically disadvantaged in Oregon.

Salem-News.com

(SALEM, Ore.) - For some, the most intimate contact they have with the poor is pulling over into the far lane as they pass a homeless person on a street corner. The poor, however, are not defined simply by their lack of money.

“There is a very definite culture that comes with being economically disadvantaged,” said David Hardesty, an instructor in adult basic education and GED preparation at Chemeketa Community College. “Poverty is something not as obvious as race, religion, or disability. As an instructor in ABE/GED, I see a lot of students who come from generational poverty.”

His direct experience with students struggling to break out of the cycle of poverty is just one of the reasons Hardesty invited Gov. Ted Kulongoski to speak at the college later this month. Kulongoski’s speech, and a question and answer session, are slated for October 31st at noon in the Chemketa Auditorium. The auditorium is located in Building 6 on the Salem campus, 4000 Lancaster Drive N.E.

In April, Kulongoski and his wife, Mary Oberst, participated in a hunger awareness campaign that had the couple eating on a budget of $21 for a week, the same amount they would have received as part of the federal food stamp program.

“While shopping, I had to make difficult decisions about the quality and quantity of food I purchased and sadly, this is something that thousands of Oregonians deal with everyday,” said Kulongoski in a press release.

He will discuss his personal experiences with poverty and his plans to aid the economically disadvantaged in Oregon.

The lecture is sponsored by the Chemeketa Community College Multicultural Committee, which hosts a variety of events throughout the year highlighting issues surrounding, race, ethnicity, disability and other cultural differences.

Source: Chemeketa College