'Poor People's Campaign' in Dover March 2 to rally low-wage voters to demand change

A nationwide campaign calling attention to poverty and organizing low-wage voters is coming to Delaware on Saturday, March 2, from noon to 2 p.m. at Wesley United Methodist Church, 209 S. State St., Dover.

What's the purpose of the event?

“Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival” includes rallies in state capitals across the country launching an eight-month, nonpartisan effort before the November elections to mobilize low-wage voters and demand legislators take action to end poverty, organizers announced.

People in poverty make up about 30% of the electorate but few vote, according to the Delaware campaign committee led by registered nurse Cecelia Hobbs, the Rev. Lyle J. Dykstra and Julius B. Jackson, a retired human services administrator and advocate.

“This is a sleeping giant,” Hobbs said. “We want to mobilize and galvanize these voters to get out to the polls, make their voices heard and demand change.”

Members of the committee include leaders from churches, civil rights groups and nonprofits that assist people in poverty.

What are the key issues of the campaign?

Poor People's Campaign committees in more than 30 states are pressing government leaders for living wages, affordable healthcare, affordable housing, improvements in education, environmental justice and voting rights.

“We need to let our legislators know that poverty is killing people, but it doesn’t have to be that way,” Hobbs said.

As a nurse, she’s seen how people with low incomes often neglect their health because food and housing are higher priorities. Difficult living conditions, poor nutrition, stress and anxiety all lead to health problems, which often go untreated, and that leads to shorter lifespans.

“Going through COVID, I cried every day because I saw how people were suffering, and the poor were suffering most of all,” Hobbs said.

Along with health care, another major issue of the campaign is housing.

“So many people can’t afford housing so they’re homeless. If you do have an apartment, rents are going up and up. There’s price gouging,” Hobbs said. “And when your rent goes up, then you have less for food, child care and everything else.”

What's happening at the rally in Dover?

A variety of speakers from different backgrounds will talk about the effects of poverty in Delaware and encourage people with low incomes to vote and ask for change from government leaders.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. DeBorah Gilbert White, once homeless after she was evicted, who worked to become a psychologist and advocate for people experiencing homelessness. She is a member of the leadership team and director of education of the National Coalition for the Homeless in Washington, D.C. She’s also the author of “Beyond Charity: A Sojourner’s Reflections on Homelessness, Advocacy, Empowerment and Hope.”

Other speakers will include people living in poverty or who have gone through poverty, people living paycheck to paycheck, and leaders from churches and civil rights groups.

For transportation to the rally and more information

Transportation from Wilmington to the March 2 rally in Dover is available by calling 302-362-9885.

For more information about the campaign to end poverty, see the Delaware Poor People's Campaign website or email Delaware@poorpeoplescampaign.org.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Rally March 2 in Dover to encourage people in poverty to vote