31 Aug City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County Announce Joint Effort to Improve Economic Mobility
(Fayetteville, N.C.) – The City of Fayetteville and Cumberland County are pleased to announce the launch of Pathways for Prosperity (P4P), an initiative to improve economic mobility for citizens across the region. Pathways for Prosperity will begin with a widely-distributed community member survey followed by a summit to be held on November 18th to review feedback from the survey, analyze recent poverty data, and map out a process for identifying key focus areas and resources.
After the summit, the initiative will assemble a Community Revitalization Task Force which will be charged with producing a comprehensive action plan within 90 days (by mid-February).
“We have a lot to be proud of in our community, but too many of our citizens are living in poverty which limits the potential of individuals and our economy alike,” said Mayor Nat Robertson.
Councilman Kirk deViere, a leading force behind Pathways for Prosperity agrees: “The district I represent includes some of the poorest households in the nation and it’s time we gather as many resources and people as possible to move the needle on poverty. It’s our duty, our responsibility.”
“This is not an easy goal, we’ll need to lean into difficult issues from blighted housing to hunger in our classrooms to racial equity. And we’ll need everyone on board. I look forward to working with the many community based organizations active in this space along with Cumberland County Commissioners, especially Chairman Glenn Adams as he is very passionate about this and we will need his leadership.”
“Cumberland County is happy to partner with the City of Fayetteville on the Pathways for Prosperity initiative,” said Cumberland County Board of Commissioners Chair Glenn Adams. “I am hopeful that this working partnership will result in a reduction of poverty in our community and will help empower residents on their path to a more prosperous future.”
Adam Svolto, Deputy Director of Policy and Engagement at the North Carolina Justice Center is serving as a consultant to the initiative and is excited about the promise it represents: “I see a real sense of urgency and boldness and I’m optimistic not only to see how P4P plays out in Fayetteville and Cumberland County, but how this process may inform other communities dealing with similar issues.”
The Justice Center’s partnership with the initiative will be supported through a three-year grant administered by the N.C. State Bar.
If you are interested in learning more or partnering with the Pathways for Prosperity initiative, please visit www.PathwaysforProsperity.org.