I have lived in the Utica, NY area for most of my life and started to work with families at the age of 21. My job at MVCAA is to direct numerous programs that are designed to help empower families toward self sufficiency and a means to creating a plan to get out of poverty. Working with other employees and management staff from MVCAA we have started working to get the conversation of poverty, to be discussed by different members of the community that represent the low, middle, and wealthy economic classes. Poverty is a nasty part of society and our agency have been working with other community organizations, to help alleviate the scourge of poverty that is visible in the Oneida County area. Growing up poor for a time in my life has given me the insight into what people are enduring presently in America and the compassion to work towards helping families living in poverty to work towards getting ahead in life.