Cape Musings

“To rove about, musing, that is to say loitering, is, for a philosopher, a good way of spending time” - Victor Hugo

Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty

06/01/07 · 7:41 am :: posted by Margot     
Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty
 
Since this last post seemed to generate some passionate discussion about poverty on the Cape, I thought I'd post the following audio series called "Two Cape Cods."  It is award winning and was created by a Cape reporter.  I think it does a wonderful job highlighting some of the serious problems our residents face.  The links to each vignette are provided below and if you don't have the time to listen to them, at least read the text under each heading. 
 
No matter your opinion, it never hurts to be well informed.  What is the basis of your opinion if you haven't listened to the other side?  If your contention is that people just prefer to whine rather than solve their own problems, perhaps this series will enlighten you.  Either that, or it will add fuel to the fire you are already fanning.
 
I used to write for a fine magazine that highlighted the Cape's shiny corners.  They photographed beautiful living rooms that looked out over the sea, pictured the season's latest fashions, recommended books and restaurants and each summer, the cover featured the perfect Cape Cod family to herald in the new season.  And while I very much enjoyed writing for them and having the opportunity to interview people like Ethel Kennedy, I often felt as if I were polishing an old bike with a flat tire.  I felt I was complicit in a plot to project a Cape without blemishes, creating a facade of sea roses and porch swings from Pottery Barn.
 
I know better than that.
 
Each and every community has its own unique set of problems and ours is no different.  But each and every community is defined by the way they approach those problems.  Looking the other way or pretending those problems don't exist isn't an approach--it's ignorance.
 
So take a listen.  And remember that you, too, define yourself by the way you react to the pain and hardship of others...

Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands

Those who serve Cape Cod's poor are the first to point out that behind the veil of the affluent summer paradise we all recognize, hides a community that continually struggles to make ends meet.

This duPont-Columbia Award-winning series examines the unique factors that contribute to persistent and hidden poverty throughout the Cape and Islands region.

Click here to listen to each or all of the audio files below.

Perception vs. Reality
Series Introduction
Behind the sunny facade of affluent seaside villages are local families who can't afford to cover the costs of healthcare, housing, and food. More

Uninsured and Underinsured
More than 40,000 Cape residents are without health insurance. This vulnerable class may be just one illness or injury away from not being able to afford their homes. More

Commuting Off-Cape
Increasingly, going to work off-Cape is the only way to escape a low paying, tourist and service-driven economy. More

Hunger
Food pantries are distributing record amounts of food as more and more families find themselves unable to earn a livable wage.  Free and reduced lunch program statistics in Dennis indicate that there may be no accurate way to measure poverty. More

tressed Out: Single Parenting
According to a survey conducted by Barnstable County last year, 80% of the most needy households on the Cape wrestle with stress and anxiety. More

Youth Flight
If the next generation of teachers, nurses, and firefighters can't make the Cape their home, then who will serve and take care of the people who can? More

Elderly Poverty
The ever-rising costs of living means that for a growing number of seniors, retirement has not been the life of leisure they may have expected. More

Homeless
Shelters housed more than 500 homeless people last year. But untold others live on friends' couches, in motel rooms, and in tents in the woods. More

Wampanoag
Of the 350 Wampanoag living in Mashpee today, 90% live from paycheck to paycheck, undeniably poor. More

Empty Nets
Cape Cod, a land named for its bounty of fish, doesn't have many commercial fishermen left. More

Moving out: The Winter Rental Shuffle
With off-season rental-housing prices skyrocketing, where are the working poor expected to look for shelter? More

Lack of Mass Transit
Without reliable public transportation, working poor cannot access the job opportunities and public services they so direly need. More

Foster Care: Aging Out
More than 250 children live in foster care. When these children leave state custody, more and more are winding up on the streets. More

Childcare: Sea Babies
Struggling families must choose between spending $300 a week on childcare and forgoing a paycheck to stay home. More

Martha's Vineyard
Much of the world knows Martha's Vineyard as a rich person's playground, but many locals are struggling to find adequate food and shelter. More

1: Meals on Wheels
2: Habitat for Humanity

Workforce Housing
With a median home price of $1.6 million, many in the Nantucket workforce will never be able to live where they work. More

The Road Ahead
Series Conclusion
If living the American Dream means getting married, buying a house, and raising a family, Cape Cod may not be a viable option for future.

Want to take issue with the above post?
Email us a Letter to the Editor by clicking here or Tweet us your comments here. Be sure to include your name and the town in which you live. If you are a “Whistleblower”, or must remain anonymous because of social or business reasons, explain the reasons in your message, and it will be honored at the Editor's discretion. If we decide the reasons are not sufficient we will not print your letter. Click here for information on sending a Letter to the Editor.

About

margotperu Margot Russell was a reporter and news broadcaster at WQRC and is currently a staff writer for Inside Cape Cod Magazine. She is also a freelance writer and a tour guide, lugging eager travelers to all points of the globe, including yearly treks to Machu Picchu. She lives in Mashpee with her family.

- site sponsors -

Archives

Local Blogs

Blogs with posts in the past week are listed here in order of newest posts. For a list of all blogs, visit Blogs A to Z

Cape Cod News

CCT Blog Tools

Login to post or manage your blog:

  • If you are having difficulty logging in, please try first to delete your cookies in the web browser, or we will be happy to assist you.

Username: 

Password:     

Become a CapeCodToday Blogger!

Are you passionate about your community? Do you blog or at least harbor thoughts of doing so?

If so, CapeCodToday.com would like to host your blog on our CapeCodToday weblog publishing platform.

Blog Newsfeed

CapeCodToday uses standard web "newsfeeds" (RSS) to automatically update the latest blog entries in your browser or newsreader.

Use any of the links below in your newsreader or web browser to get "Cape Musings" postings delivered to you, or use the RSS icon in your browser's address bar.

RSS 2.0 Atom 0.3