Getting families out of poverty isn’t a mystery: here’s what works, and how the nonprofit Family Independence Initiative is empowering more people to do it. Subscribe for more videos on innovative social entrepreneurs: [ Ссылка ]

Millions of Americans are in poverty - and endure negative stereotypes about the working poor. People assume they must be in poverty because they are not good with money, when often the opposite is true. So what keeps them from escaping poverty? Family Independence Initiative (or FII) is a nonprofit organization that has studied that, and found that many people do escape poverty - but within 5 years, they fall back into it. They’ve found that what ultimately makes people get out of poverty for good is two things. The power of community--having social capital and a network of people able to support you. The second is enough money to overcome the incidental barriers that can snowball into larger negative consequences. From the overdue bill that accrues late fees and means you can’t make rent, to a car repair that keeps you from working or your kids from getting to school, obstacles that never block better-off people can keep generations of people behind. FII combines their community-focused approach with cash payments that help families overcome those things and break the cycle of poverty. By trusting the families to spend money in the way that is most effective for them, they empower them to be more efficient and pull themselves out of poverty. At a time when inequality and poverty in America is in sharp focus, and solutions like universal basic income (UBI) are being discussed, should this way out of poverty be part of the conversation?

This episode of Catalysts, a Freethink original series presented by Stand Together Foundation, features an interview with FII CEO Jesús Gerena. He discusses his experience growing up in a family that was part of the working poor. This experience breaking the cycle of poverty lead him to pursue social entrepreneurship in the nonprofit sector to help others. Catalysts is a series that profiles social entrepreneurs exploring bold solutions to society’s biggest problems. Remember to subscribe and click the notifications bell to be informed of new episodes.

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