>> >>PEGGY: THE LINE DOCUMENTARY HIGH LIGHTS
FOUR AMERICAN FAMILIES STRUGGLE WITH POVERTY
AND HUNGER.
JOINING ME TO TALK ABOUT POVERTY AND THE 210,000
SAN DIEGANS CONSIDERED FOOD INSECURE IS EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR OF SAN DIEGO HUNGER COALITION JENNIFER
TRACEY AND HANNAH GRAVETTE WITH THE SAN DIEGO
ORGANIZING PROJECT.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THE FILM'S TITLE THE LINE IS A REFERENCE TO
THE FEDERAL POVERTY LINE WHICH IS DEFINED
AS A FAMILY OF FOUR WITH AN INCOME OF JUST
OVER $23,000 A YEAR.
JENNIFER, HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE AT THIS POVERTY
LINE IN SAN DIEGO COUNTY OR BELOW IT, AND
HOW MANY OF THEM ARE IN NEED OF FOOD ASSISTANCE?
>> >>JENNIFER TRACY: THERE'S ABOUT HALF A
MILLION PEOPLE IN SAN DIEGO ALONE, AND THE
POVERTY RATE IS ABOUT 14.8% OVERALL, BUT OF
THOSE ABOUT ALMOST 20% OF CHILDREN LIVE IN
POVERTY.
THAT'S ONE IN FIVE KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITIES
THAT STRUGGLE.
>> >>PEGGY: HANNAH, YOU BROUGHT THIS FILM
TO SAN DIEGO.
WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR SAN DIEGANS
TO WATCH THIS EVEN THOUGH THE STORIES ARE
SET IN ILLINOIS AND OTHER STATE?
>> >>HANNAH GRAVETTE: AS YOU HEARD JENNIFER
SAY THOSE SAME STORIES EXIST HERE IN SAN DIEGO
TOO.
IT'S DEFINITELY A PROBLEM THAT EXISTS IN OUR
COMMUNITY.
WE CAN'T IGNORE IT.
WE REALLY FEEL IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO START
A DIALOGUE HERE IN SAN DIEGO.
HOW DO WE BRING THESE FAMILIES OUT OF THE
SHADOWS AND RAISE THEM UP.
HOW CAN THIS COMMUNITY SUPPORT THEM.
>> >>PEGGY: WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SHADOWS
AND STIGMA IN A MINUTE.
FIRST WE HAVE A CLIP FROM THE FILM WHERE A
SINGLE DAD DESCRIBES WHAT IT WAS LIKE FOR
HIM TO CROSS OVER THAT POVERTY LINE.
>> >>: THE LINE IS WHERE YOU ARE ALWAYS IN
A POSITION TO GIVE; TO GIVE HELP.
AND THEN FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS LINE HAS
GONE FROM BEING SOMEBODY TO HELP TO BEING
SOMEBODY WHO NEEDS HELP.
>> >>PEGGY: SOMEBODY THAT HAS GONE FROM HELPING,
WHO NEEDS HELP.
THAT'S HAPPENED A LOT SINCE THE 2008 RECESSION.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE STORIES YOU'VE HEARD
HERE IN SAN DIEGO?
>> >>HANNAH GRAVETTE: I HEAR STORIES EVERY
DAY OF PEOPLE THAT I INTERACT WITH IN THE
COMMUNITY THROUGH MY WORK.
ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD STABLE JOBS, STEADY
JOBS, GOT SICK, WEREN'T ABLE TO WORKS THEN
HAD HUGE AMOUNTS OF DEBT BECAUSE OF THEIR
ILLNESS AND FALL NOTHING TO POVERTY.
IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME TO CRAWL BACK
OUT.
>> >>PEGGY: AND THERE'S CERTAINLY AN EMOTIONAL
STRUGGLE, BUT THE DAD ALSO TALKED ABOUT TRYING
TO GET ON FOOD ASSISTANCE AND HOW IT WAS DIFFICULT
FOR HIM BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY.
WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS ARE HERE AND AVAILABLE
TO THE HUNGRY?
>> >>JENNIFER TRACY: WE HAVE A VERY GENEROUS
COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS THAT ARE
EFFECTIVE WAYS OF ADDRESSING CHILD HUNGER,
AND THE SNAP PROGRAM OR CAL FRESH AND SAN
DIEGO.
AN EXTREMELY EFFECTIVE WAY OF ADDRESSING HUNGER
AND VERY EFFICIENT.
>> >>PEGGY: THAT'S THE PROGRAM THAT'S AT RISK
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WHY?
>> >>JENNIFER TRACY: RIGHT NOW IN CONGRESS
THERE ARE CUTS THAT ARE PROPOSED AND CURRENTLY
THE FARM BILL IS STALLED IN THE HOUSE.
REPUBLICS ARE FIGHTING AGAINST THEMSELVES
ABOUT HOW THEY WANT TO MAKE THE CUTS.
THOSE CUTS WOULD AFFECT SAN DIEGANS AND OUR
COMMUNITY.
>> >>PEGGY: IF THOSE CUTS I THINK IT WAS UP
TO SUPPOSEDLY CONGRESS SAID UP TO $35ﾊBILLION
OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS, JENNIFER, IF THOSE
CUTS DID HAPPEN SPECIFICALLY YOU SAID HERE,
HOW MANY PEOPLE IT WOULD AFFECT?
>> >>JENNIFER TRACY: I THINK IT WOULD AFFECT
OVERALL ABOUT 8 TO 10ﾊMILLION PEOPLE IN
THE NATION.
A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THAT WOULD BE IN
SAN DIEGO COUNTY.
>> >>PEGGY: THAT'S PART OF THE REASON THIS
FILM WAS SENT TO EVERY CONGRESS MEMBER IN
WASHINGTON WASHINGTON D.C.
THE DOCS DOCUMENTARY AUGUSTS ALSO TALKS ABOUT
THAT SHADOW AND STIGMA WE WERE ALLUDING TO
EARLIER.
LET'S LISTEN.
>> >>: SOME OF THE MOST PREVALENT AND DAMAGING
STEREOTYPES ABOUT POOR PEOPLE ARE THAT THEY'RE
LAZY, THAT THEY'RE STUPID, THEY DON'T HAVE
ANY SKILLS, PREFER POVERTY, THAT THEY CAN'T
TAKE CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.
>> >>PEGGY: SO, HANNAH, SOME OF THOSE STEREOTYPES,
HOW TRUE ARE THEY?
WHAT'S THE SITUATION HERE?
>> >>HANNAH GRAVETTE: I WOULD SAY THEY'RE
NOT TRUE AT ALL.
FOR THE SHOW I DIDN'T WANT TO BE THE ONE HERE,
THERE WERE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE LIVING
IN POVERTY IN SAN DIEGO THAT I INVITED TO
COME ON THE SHOW.
ALL OF THEM ARE WORKING.
I MEAN TO SAY PEOPLE ARE WORKING MULTIPLE
JOBS TO SURVIVE, PEOPLE LIVING IN POVERTY
WORK HARD.
I WOULD SAY MANY OF US ARE ONLY ONE PAY CHECK
OR ONE ACCIDENT AWAY FROM POVERTY.
>> >>PEGGY: YOU CAN WATCH THE ONLINEﾊ THE
DOCUMENTARY THE LINE ON OUR WEBSITE AT KPBS.ORG.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US ABOUT
THIS TODAY.
>> >>JENNIFER TRACY: THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> >>HANNAH GRAVETTE: THANK YOU.
