On Tuesday, January 23rd, at 6:00 p.m., central, the LaSalle Public Library will host a free film screening and discussion, in collaboration with the Illinois Humanities’ NEA Big Read and the Oglesby Public Library, that invites the public to learn more about the issues facing families experiencing financial distress and to share hopes and ideas for future generations. Following the film screening, guest speakers from Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Tri-County Opportunities Council, and Illinois Humanities, will lead a discussion to finding solutions for low-income families living in underresourced communities. The program is free, open to the public, and will be presented as both in-person and available live through the Illinois Humanities YouTube channel.
The film, “Poor Kids,” was filmed in the Quad Cities in 2012 by Frontline. It brought Americans into the real day-to-day lives of young children growing up in financial distress in the United States. Their stories and the challenges their families faced were stirring, but not unique – more than 16% of Americans, under the age of 18, live in poverty today.
Register for the program, if attending, virtually, at: https://sites.google.com/lasalle.lib.il.us/programportal/adult-programs/growing-up-poor. The LaSalle Public Library is located at 305 Marquette and is ADA compliant and welcoming. For more information, please call the LaSalle Public Library at 815-223-2341.
NEA Big Read: Reconsidering the American Dream invites the public to explore themes of class, migration, and belonging. Free book discussions and events are centered around two books, “Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth,” by Sarah Smarsh, and “Infinite Country,” by Patricia Engel. The Oglesby Public Library is hosting the book discussions in collaboration with the LaSalle Public Library and Illinois Humanities NEA Big Read. To join, please contact the Oglesby Public Library at 815-883-3619.
Guest Speakers
- Rebecca Amato is the Director of Teaching and Learning at Illinois Humanities. Prior to her work at Illinois Humanities, she was the Associate Director of the Urban Democracy Lab at NYU and Associate Faculty at NYU Gallatin. Her research interests and writing focus on urban planning, land use, and memory practices with a special emphasis on mobilizing the public humanities for social justice advocacy. She holds a PhD in U.S. History from The Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
- Vanessa Hoffeditz has worked as a Community Services Manager for Tri-County Opportunities Council for thirteen years. Tri-County is a Community Action Agency whose mission is to investigate the impact of poverty in their nine-county area and work in partnership with individuals, families and communities to provide opportunities that support movement toward stability and self-sufficiency. In her role, she provides support and direction to Outreach staff who work directly with low-income households. She is also responsible for running the agency’s food pantry which serves Bureau County. Her daily encounters with households experiencing poverty have provided her with knowledge of what these households face as they experience food insecurity, unstable living situations, and daily struggles with meeting basic needs.
- Chris Merrett earned his Ph.D. (University of Iowa) in Geography and Planning. He currently serves as the Dean for Innovation and Economic Development, as well as the Director of the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA), at Western Illinois University.