Steven C.

Mentzer

Member of the House

1555 Highlands Drive

Lititz, PA 17543

(717) 626-1776

Child Poverty in our Community

Dear Mr. Steven Mentzer,

I am writing to you today to bring attention to the pressing issue of child poverty. My personal
experience on this topic is largely made up of the three years I spent teaching in Haiti. Being ranked as
one of the poorest countries, it is no surprise that the effects of poverty were evident in every town.
While the people there are rich in cultural traditions, hospitality, and family support, poverty weighs
down on many of their everyday lives just as with many families in our very own community.

The numerous, long-term damages that significant malnourishment can have on the juvenile
brain are devastating. My passion for children has played a big role in my life and is a main reason I
chose Early Childhood Education as my major. I have been learning about how essential the early years
of a child’s life are for building a strong, developmental foundation to promote health, wellbeing, and
academic success. Without the basic nutrition that a growing child needs, the damage to physical and
cognitive development during the first two years of a child’s life is largely irreversible. (UNICEF Canada,
n.d.) Looking past malnutrition, you will find many other detrimental effects poverty can cause for
children such as abuse and neglect, behavioral and socioemotional problems, and increased exposure to
violence. (American Psychological Association, 2009)
 I will now write about two organizations that are currently involved and helping the community
and ways that you can support them. First, Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County is a non-
profit center with the goal to “offer Poverty Simulations that give participants the opportunity to learn
about the realities of poverty and its impact on society as a whole.” (Community Action Partnership,
n.d.) They are Lancaster County’s largest anti-poverty organization and boasts a service profile that
interrupts inter-generational poverty with programs that assist families at every age and place in life.
They have both a Nutrition Education Program and a Food Distribution Program that relate directly to
the issue of poverty. You can support them by applying to be a Poverty Simulator Volunteer to “give
participants the opportunity to learn about the realities of poverty and its impact on society as a
whole.” (Community Action Partnership, n.d.) Another way to support them is through goods or money
donations. These are used for families to connect them with resources to stabilize their immediate
needs.

Second, Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership is a non-profit organization focusing on

“cultivating partnerships and resources to increase the availability of quality, fair and affordable
housing.” (Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership, 2020) With homelessness being a major result of
poverty, the organization is helping this issue is a very essential way. Two ways to get involved are
through donating to support their programs and services and by volunteering to participate in one of
their community building projects. This helps “provide affordable housing for low to moderate income
people living and working in the region.” (Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership, 2020)

Thank you for your time and consideration towards getting involved and making a difference in our
community. Child poverty is a crushing reality that I hope will experience a drastic decline in the next
few years. I appreciate the work you have already done for our community!

Sincerely,

Shayne Brunsch
UNICEF Canada (n.d.) MALNUTRITION
https://www.unicef.ca/en/malnutrition#:~:text=Malnutrition%20in%20children%20is%20especially,res
ult%20in%20future%20income%20reduction.
American Psychological Association (2009) Effects of Poverty, Hunger and Homelessness on Children and
Youth https://www.apa.org/pi/families/poverty
COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF LANCASTER COUNTY (n.d.) About
CAP https://caplanc.org/about-cap/
COMMUNITY ACTION PARTNERSHIP OF LANCASTER COUNTY (n.d.) Volunteering at CAP
https://caplanc.org/volunteer/
Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (2020) Mission Statement
https://www.lhop.org/
Lancaster Housing Opportunity Partnership (2020) LHOP in the
Community https://www.lhop.org/about/programs/