Standing Together for Dignity and Eradication of Poverty

ANCHOR Honors the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17 is a day that calls on all of us as individuals, communities, and organizations to recommit to our efforts and actions to end poverty. Established by the United Nations, the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty shines a spotlight on the struggle faced by millions of people around the world who live in poverty, and it urges us to elevate the voices of those most affected. 

Poverty is not just a lack of income or resources. It is a denial of human dignity, opportunity, and security. The United Nations reminds us that too often, people living in poverty experience systemic barriers: discrimination, exclusion, stigmatization, and institutional marginalization.

This year’s umbrella theme — “Ending social and institutional maltreatment” — calls upon us all to confront the hidden, structural forms of injustice that perpetuate poverty. It asks: Are our current policies, systems, and institutions helping to uplift people and untangle generations of historic and systemic institutional inequities, or are they reinforcing barriers and exclusion?

For communities in which ANCHOR works, these challenges are not abstract. Too often, residents face obstacles to accessing safe housing, stable employment, health services, transportation, and education; these systemic obstacles can slow or block access altogether.

More Than Shelter

At ANCHOR, our mission goes beyond bricks and mortar. We believe that housing is foundational to opportunity. Secure, affordable housing gives people the stability to pursue education, employment, health, and deeper community engagement.

This Internation Day for the Eradication of Poverty, we affirm our commitment to:

• Upholding dignity: We will continue to treat each resident with respect and ensure that our policies and practices center their voice, input, safety, and empowerment.

• Breaking down barriers: Whether procedural, cultural, or institutional, we will work to identify and dismantle obstacles that limit access to housing, services, or community inclusion.

• Advocating for equity: We will use our platform to highlight the need for supportive policies in Raleigh, across North Carolina, and in federal housing programs that prioritize inclusion, anti-discrimination, and fairness.

• Strengthening community partnerships: We will deepen collaboration with local nonprofits, service providers, and resident groups to ensure wrap-around support, from job training and education to health and transportation access.

• Amplifying voices of lived experience: On October 17 and beyond, we will center people with lived experience of poverty and housing insecurity. Their insights, challenges, and solutions must shape our practices.

Join Us in Action! 

1. Listen & Learn. Share a testimony, story, or data point from people with lived experience of poverty. Use social media with hashtags like #EndPoverty, #DignityForAll, and #NoOneLeftBehind.

2. Support Locally. Volunteer or partner with local organizations that provide services such as food assistance, job training, transportation support, or financial counseling.

3. Advocate for Policy Changes. Contact your local and state officials to support affordable housing funding, anti-discrimination laws, and social support systems that address root causes of poverty.

4. Host a Conversation. At your workplace, church, or community group, gather to discuss the structural causes of poverty and ways each of you can contribute to solutions. We would be happy to join you!

A Vision of Belonging

October 17 reminds us that poverty is not inevitable. It is the outcome of choices, policies, and systems that have too often left people behind. If we want a world where everyone has the chance to thrive, we must challenge inequity, center dignity, and invest in justice.

The eradication of poverty is not just a global goal. It is a moral imperative that ANCHOR will continue to champion with courage, partnership, and conviction until every family has a fair chance to thrive.