For Immediate Release

Contact: James Paxson, General Manager
Hacienda Owners Association
(925) 734-6500

PLEASANTON, Calif. — Hacienda Helping Hands, Kaiser Permanente, the East Bay Community Foundation, and the East Bay Leadership Council in conjunction with community services agencies and city and local businesses leaders are coming together on October 30, 2014 to address the issue of suburban poverty in the Tri-Valley area.

The goal is to facilitate an ongoing discussion about the hidden poverty in the Tri-Valley and create change to build prosperity for everyone in the community. Organizers also aim to find innovative solutions to lift struggling neighbors out of poverty and to increase donors and volunteers for the local nonprofits that are often a first stop for those facing challenging times.

WHAT: The Hidden Poverty of the Tri-Valley Lunch

WHEN: Thursday, October 30, 2014 from 11:30 am-1:30 pm

WHERE: Goal Line Productions, 5959 Coronado Lane, Pleasanton http://goalline.com

WHO: Media are invited to attend this collaborative lunch to hear ideas on ways the community and business leaders can improve the health and well-being of very low-income residents of the Tri-Valley area.

SPEAKERS: Elizabeth Kneebone, co-author, "Confronting Suburban Poverty in America"; Alex Briscoe, Director, Alameda Health Care Services Agency; and Kelley Bowers, Superintendent, Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

FACTS:

• The recent recession led to a 53% increase in the number of individuals in poverty while funding for safety net services decreased.

• Suburban residents are the fastest growing segment of poverty: 1 in 3 poor people live in the suburbs. The rate of poverty in Pleasanton is 8.3%. The rate of poverty in Livermore is 7.5%.

• Nearly 10,000 Tri-Valley households struggle to meet basic needs for food, shelter, and health care. That is nearly 26,000 people.

• On average, the suburban poor spend 27% of their income on transportation and 32% on housing, leaving little for anything else.

• The poor commute longer: only 25% reach their work within 90 minutes and commute in older vehicles requiring more maintenance and with lesser fuel efficiency.

About Hacienda Helping Hands

Hacienda Helping Hands supports community organizations in the following six key philanthropic areas: youth development and education, family strengthening, senior assistance, access to healthcare and healthy living, affordable housing and solutions to homelessness, and arts and culture. Over the last six years, through two separate granting cycles, Hacienda Helping Hands has been able to distribute more than $100,000 to organizations that addressed one or more of these philanthropic areas. Past recipients include: Axis Community Health, Senior Support Program of the Tri-Valley, Buenas Vidas Youth Ranch, Open Heart Kitchen, Sentinels of Freedom, Tri-Valley Housing Opportunity Center, and many more.

Contact Information

Hacienda Owners Association
4305 Hacienda Drive, Suite 330, Pleasanton, California  94588-2738
(925) 734-6500 phone     (925) 734-6501 fax
info@hacienda.org e-mail     www.hacienda.org WWW