Poverty isn’t as visible as you might think in the 22 counties of southeast Iowa that make up our Diocese of Davenport. As we observe National Poverty in America Awareness Month, consider these sobering stories:
Lawrence DuCharme doesn’t know why St. Vincent de Paul Food Pantry in Burlington, the largest food pantry in the city, is seeing new clients; he just knows “we’re still seeing a lot of people in need.” St. Vincent de Paul, based at the former St. John Catholic School in Burlington, served more than 7,000 families (more than 27,000 individuals) in 2024, said DuCharme, the food pantry’s president and member of Divine Mercy Parish-Burlington/West Burlington. The previous year “was a record year but 2024 was just about as high.”
Pam Pelzel, a member of St. Mary Parish-Grinnell who volunteers to help people in need complete paperwork for vital assistance, including mothers-to-be who might otherwise seek an abortion, says food insecurity, low wages and high rents are huge problems. “Having to pay two-thirds of income to get basic housing even affects working poor and lower-income people,” she said. “Even people who don’t qualify for food stamps or ‘poverty programs’ are becoming food and housing insecure.”
Pelzel has discovered that other factors beyond low income, high rent and food insecurity can move people into poverty. “I’ve tried to help lower-middle class people who end up losing income due to illnesses (no paid time off and no paid maternity leave) get the medical care, rent and utility support they need to not become homeless,” she said.
In Des Moines County, where Burlington is located, the poverty rate is 14.1%, surpassing the state poverty rate of 11.3% (U.S. Census Bureau, July 2023). The poverty rate in Poweshiek County, where Grinnell is located, is 11.1%. Some other counties within our diocese have among the highest poverty rates: Appanoose County, 20.4% (the highest in Iowa); Johnson County, 16.7%; and Wapello County, 16.75%. Others are lower than Des Moines County but still high: Clinton County, 13.1%, and Lee County, 13%.
The late Pope Benedict XVI said, “The more we strive to secure a common good corresponding to the real needs of our neighbors, the more effectively we love them. Every Christian is called to practice this charity, in a manner corresponding to his vocation and according to the degree of influence he wields in the [state]” (“Caritas in Veritate,” “Charity in Truth,” 2009).
His guidance serves as a powerful reminder of our call to prayer and action during Poverty Awareness Month and as we follow the Iowa General Assembly, which opened the 2025 session on Monday, Jan. 13. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) reminds us in the Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching, “A basic moral test is how our most vulnerable members are faring. In a society marred by deepening divisions between rich and poor …”
This requires the monumental, but doable, task of transcending our political and religious divisions to ensure that everyone is able to access “basic human necessities, such as food, housing, clean water and air, education, health care, and productive work for fair wages” (2025 Iowa Catholic Conference Legislative Principles).
Begin by learning about the multifaceted aspects of poverty. A good place to start is Poverty USA, an initiative of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), an instrument of the Catholic Church working to carry out the mission of Jesus Christ (povertyusa.org). Poverty USA’s policy page (povertyusa.org/policies) provides a framework for confronting the root causes of economic injustice and promoting policies that help people get back on their feet. These policies include:
- The federal budget, which includes discretionary and mandatory expenditures. Discretionary spending (one-third of the budget) covers programs such as education, various social services, housing, environmental stewardship and defense. Mandatory spending (two-thirds of the budget) includes the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (food stamps), Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and low-income tax credits. Poverty USA points out, “Difficult economic times require shared sacrifice by all.” To contact your Congress members, go to congress.gov/members.
- The Child Tax Credit (CTC) “is pro-work, pro-family and is one of the most effective anti-poverty programs of the federal government.”
- The Farm Bill. Urge Congress to “adopt policies that support domestic farmers, promote rural development and reduce hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world.”
- Criminal justice reform. “Urge your senators and representatives to support policies that lift up human life and dignity, promote civility, community safety, and help reform people’s lives harmed by crime and violence.”
- Predatory banking and payday lending. “Families desperate for additional funds to make ends meet are ripe for exploitation by unscrupulous lenders who use a worker’s paycheck as collateral for short-term, high-interest loans.”
- Climate change and the environment. “Climate change and environmental degradation take a disproportionate toll on those living in poverty and in areas prone to natural disasters.”
We also need to stay informed about our state’s 2025 legislative session through the Iowa Catholic Conference (iowacatholicconference.org). The ICC is hosting a webinar Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. titled “Advocating for Justice 2025” that will update participants on current issues and help us find ways to advocate for justice. Go to the ICC Newsletter at https://tinyurl.com/y95xpdnj to sign up.
We might not think we know people living in the state of poverty but they may be people with whom we interact regularly. Let’s work together to pass the basic moral test on how our most vulnerable members are faring.
Barb Arland-Fye, Editor
arland-fye@davenportdiocese.org