Center for Rural Affairs Joins “Opportunity@Work” Initiative

For three consecutive years, Nebraska has ranked number one in the United States for the number of children living with working parents, yet child poverty increased by 50% in just five years, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation, National KIDS COUNT Data Book, 2007.

The Opportunity@Work coalition will work to enhance Nebraska’s workforce by supporting programs and initiatives that create opportunity for working families to achieve financial stability, contribute to the prosperity of local communities and strengthen the state’s economy.  This coalition believes that it is crucial for organizations from a variety of economic, geographic and demographic sectors work together to ensure that all Nebraska families have the opportunity to thrive.

The supported programs will help employees expand their knowledge of personal finances, improve their economic stability, enable them to stay on the job and on-task, and increase access to and knowledge of these assistance programs.

These programs will also benefit employers by boosting profitability, cutting down on employee absenteeism, helping create stable new customers, improving and enriching the communities in which they own businesses, and bolstering the economy of the state.

Jon Bailey, Rural Research and Analysis Program Director at the Center for Rural Affairs, had this to say about the new initiative: “The Center for Rural Affairs was created 35 years ago to address hurdles working families faced in rural Nebraska. Those issues and policies remain as important today for the future of rural Nebraska. Creating opportunities, generating wealth and building assets for individuals and working families are crucial for the long-term health and viability of rural communities.” Bailey is the Center’s representative to Opportunity@Work .
 
To view the Opportunity@Work website visit: www.opportunityatwork.org/index.shtml