Avon Organization To Host Four-Part Anti-Poverty Program

Avon Friends for Equity

AVON, CT — A local nonprofit this week is starting a major initiative to examine the problem of poverty and what can be done about it locally and statewide.

Avon Friends for Equity received funding from the Avon Greater Together Community Fund to host a four-part panel series based on Matthew Desmond's book "Poverty, by America" this fall.

"Desmond educates us as to why poverty exists in America, how it touches all of us, and that there are ways to help eradicate poverty and create equity, starting with understanding the current crisis," wrote the organization.

"Many in town might not realize that, in Avon alone, roughly 5 percent or 1,000 of our neighbors live below the poverty level."

AFFE secured the Avon Free Public Library's partnership for the project, which starts on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Below are the dates and descriptions of each session with registration links:

• Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 6:30 p.m. (Community Room, Avon Free Public Library): The first session will be a discussion led by a local sociology professor based on the claims in Desmond’s book Poverty By America.

•Saturday, Sept. 28, at 1 p.m. (Community Room, AFPL): A screening of CPTV's "Fighting for Home: How Housing Policy Keeps Connecticut Segregated," followed by a panel discussion.

• Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. (via ZOOM): The third session will focus on the budget issues that inform poverty led by state budget reporter Keith Phaneuf of CT Mirror and Janée Woods-Weber, executive director of She leads Justice, who moderated a conversation on Poverty with Desmond back in February of this year.

• Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6:30 p.m. (Community Room, AFPL): The final session will focus on the many housing issues faced by the poor and will be led by CT Mirror Housing Reporter Ginny Monk, Peter Harrison of DeSegregate Connecticut, and state Rep. Eleni Kavros DeGraw, D-Avon.

For more information and to register for the events, click on this link.