By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

A collection of SUNY Broome’s faculty and staff spent their Common Hour on Thursday, February 22, 2024, engrossed in a discussion on the “Misconceptions of Poverty.” Led by Certified Beegle Poverty Coaches Dr. Stephanie  Malmberg and Brittney Richardson, attendees explored the definition of poverty and its different types, the effects of poverty, and what the campus community can do to create conditions that allow all students, regardless of socioeconomic status, to succeed. 

In the United States, over 37.9 million people are considered to be impoverished. Poverty, whether it be generational, working class, or immigration-linked, affects everything from access to education, to housing insecurities, to an increased risk for health issues and premature death due to inadequate medical care.  

After providing a comprehensive overview of poverty, Malmberg and Richardson led the group in an immersive activity in which mini-groups were given the monthly budget of a single mother of three living in Broome County. After dispersing the mother’s monthly income to necessities such as housing, utilities, healthcare, and childcare, each group resulted in an income deficit for equally critical basic needs like food and clothing. Lengthy SNAP applications were distributed to each group, but the teams were reminded that additional applications would need to be filed for programs like Medicaid, TANF, and HUD. This exercise served as just one example of how individuals living in poverty are required to navigate life. 

Thursday’s lecture is the result of a sustained, campus-wide dialogue on the realities of those living within the warzone of poverty, which began at the beginning of the academic year with Dr. Donna Beegle’s groundbreaking workshop, “Communicating and Relating More Effectively Across Poverty Barriers.” 

To date, over 25 faculty and staff have completed the Beegle Immersion Institute, and nine campus community members are Certified Beegle Poverty Coaches.

If you are interested in learning more about the Beegle Immersion Institute or the Beegle Poverty Coaching Institute, please don’t hesitate to contact Dr. Stephanie M. Malmberg at malmbergsm@sunybroome.edu.

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