North Dakotans Regularly See People Who Are Struggling to Make Ends Meet

News Release

Fr: Susan Buckles, APR

Northwest Area Foundation

60 Plato Boulevard East

St. Paul, MN 55107

651-225-3865

sbuckles@nwaf.org

For Immediate Release

ST. PAUL, Minn. November 27, 2007: When asked how they see neighbors struggling to make ends met, North Dakotans view their communities through a distinct lens when compared to the rest of the nation, according to a 2007 national poll commissioned by the Northwest Area Foundation. North Dakotans who live in the rural areas, who are young adults and are minorities, say they are most likely to regularly come into contact with people who are struggling.

Whether it’s the closing of plants, outsourcing of jobs or lack of living wage jobs, nearly half of all North Dakotans surveyed say they regularly see people at church, work or in every day situations who are struggling, and more than half know someone holding two or more jobs. Yet, those who live in the rural areas – 45.9 percent – are most likely to come into contact with people who are struggling to make ends meet.

Contrary to national findings, North Dakotans who live in suburban areas were more likely to say they regularly see people who are struggling than do people who in the urban inner city (44.3 percent vs. 36.2 percent). Nationally, it was just the opposite. For full details of the national poll, visit www.nwaf.org

“Many of our neighbors are struggling, and the solution isn’t just adding jobs to our economy,” said Kari Schlachtenhaufen, interim president and CEO of the Northwest Area Foundation. “What we need are quality jobs that offer living wages. That’s what will help families meet basic needs in education, housing, healthcare, and hope for a better future.”

In North Dakota and nationally, respondents also said a family of four needs $40,000 a year to make ends meet, a figure nearly twice the federal poverty threshold.

The Northwest Area Foundation’s mission is to help communities reduce poverty long term. The Foundation engages entire communities in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington - the states once served by the Great Northern Railway, founded by James J. Hill. In 1934, Hill’s son, Louis W. Hill, established the foundation.

The Foundation has a 10-year partnership with tribal members of the Turtle Mountain Indian Reservation in North Dakota. Also, 25 small North Dakota communities are participating in the Foundation’s Horizons leadership development program to reduce poverty. The Foundation does not accept unsolicited grant requests. For additional information, visit www.nwaf.org, or call 651-224-9635.

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The Northwest Area Foundation commissioned Lake Research Partners to conduct a national tracking survey among 4,000 Americans age 18 and older, from March 2 -22, 2007. Over samples were conducted and weighted down to reflect their true proportion in the country in each of the following eight states: Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Oregon and Washington. The margin of error is +/-3.5 percentage points for the national results and +/-5.0 points for the state results. This is the second survey of its kind. The first findings were released in April 2006.