Self Sufficiency

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Walk A Mile
Walk A Mile Oklahoma, the largest Walk A Mile program in the country, is in full swing! Walk A Mile has matched 31 state legislators with low-income constituents for a month of activities designed to help each partner learn about the life of the other. The partners talk on the phone once a week, they do one in-person activity from the constituent's life and one from the legislator's life, and the legislator is asked to feed his or her family on a food stamp budget for the month. The program runs through August. Based on a national model, Walk A Mile is strictly educational. For press coverage, and the learn more about the program, use the links below. You can also take a "Poverty Tour," courtesy of the Maryland Budget and Tax Policy Institute, by clicking on the link below.
  • Walk A Mile Oklahoma Wraps Up Largest Program Ever
  • Listen to a 4-minute radio interview about Walk A Mile Oklahoma, broadcast on KGOU in Norman and Oklahoma City
  • Follow Rep. Paul Wesselhoft and his match: A 30-minute radio interview broadcast on KGOU
  • Walk a mile in another's shoes (Tulsa World, September 4)
  • Chickasaw lawmaker to "Walk a Mile" (Native American Times, August 11)
  • Lawmakers walk a mile in lives of the poor (Tulsa World, August 7)
  • Lawmakers learn about hardship (The Oklahoman Editorial, August 4)
  • Lawmakers experience some constituents' lives (The Oklahoman, August 2)
  • Politicians to break bread with residents (Tulsa World, July 31)
  • Participating Legislators
  • How much is the food stamp budget?
  • The rising price of gasoline vs. the rising price of milk and groceries (The Seattle Times, August 14)
  • Walk A Mile National Program web site
  • Walk A Mile Information Sheet
  • The Poverty Tour: See how the cost of basic expenses quickly exceed the poverty level.

    Oklahoma Self-Sufficiency Standard
    In February 2002, CAP joined with Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), the University of Washington and a statewide coalition of advocacy groups, public agencies and concerned individuals to release the Self-Sufficiency Standard for Oklahoma, a landmark report on the income needs of Oklahoma families. Below you can access a copy of the full report or the 2-page executive summary (if you cannot open the report, try right-clicking and saving the file to your desktop or a folder, and then opening it). There is also a Power Point presentation summarizing key findings of the report and the ongoing work of the Self-Sufficiency Coalition. For other materials related to the release of the Standard, visit the Oklahoma Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Website.

  • Oklahoma Self-Sufficiency Standard Full Report
  • Executive Summary
  • Self-Sufficiency Standard Fact Sheet
  • Coming Up Short: New Report Compares Wages and Work Supports in OKC, 9 Other Cities
  • Presentation on the Self-Sufficiency Standard
  • Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Website: Oklahoma
  • WOW: Setting the Standard for American Working Families
  • DHS Benefits Model: An Analysis of Public Policies and Incentive Structures in Oklahoma

    Join the Self-Sufficiency Coalition
    Since release of the Self-Sufficiency Standard report, advocates, public officials and community leaders have been active engaged in spreading awareness of the income needs of low-income Oklahoma families and in encouraging a self-sufficiency agenda. The Self-Sufficiency Coalition meets occassionally but functions primarily through the exchange of ideas and information via e-mail. If you'd like to be a part of the Coalition, simply e-mail David Blatt at dblatt@capt.org or download and return the form below.

  • Overview of the Self-Sufficiency Coalition
  • Sign-Up Form

    Self-Sufficiency In the News
    Link to articles that discuss the Self-Sufficiency Standard and challenges facing low-income working families

  • Christian Science Monitor: Life at America's Bottom Wage (Jan 2007)
  • Daily Oklahoman, December 2004: Paycheck to Paycheck series
  • Daily Oklahoman, Dec. 17, 2004: Wages in state too low, experts agree
  • Daily Oklahoman, Oct. 11, 2004:Poverty not limited to the poor
  • Tulsa World coverage of Coming Up Short Report (July 24 2004)
  • Tulsa World, June 13 2004: "Coping in Tough Times"
  • Tulsa World, June 21 2004: "Families Economic Ills Grow"

    Making Connections to Careers
    Making Connections to Careers is a workshop series aimed at helping at-risk teens better understand their finacial needs and the kinsd of jobs that can earn them the income they will need. Oklahoma will be developing this program based on a model that has been successfully implemented in other states. For information or to join in this initiative, contact Alice Blue at 918-585-5551, ablue@csctulsa.org

  • Making Connections to Careers Information Sheet