SLIPPERY ROCK UNIVERSITY — The Institute of Nonprofit Leadership at Slippery Rock University brought together members of the Anti-Poverty Coalition to discuss growing its numbers and programs Thursday.

The coalition discussed its work on surveys for seniors in poverty to evaluate their needs and connect them with the right programs, a directory for organizations that offer resources for youth, and more.

“The big purpose of today was to get an agenda going and start delivering on it by early August,” said Alice Del Vecchio, director of the institute.

The coalition — titled Rethinking Poverty in Butler County: Anti-Poverty Coalition Reconvene — was comprised of a network of Butler residents and business and organizations seeking to alleviate poverty.

Representatives from the Butler County Community College Keys Program, the Community Health Center, Butler County Human Services and other organizations met in subcommittees to discuss how far the coalition has come and what next steps can look like.

Del Vecchio said the coalition is the motivator for service providers to connect and share resources.

“The role of the institute is to keep momentum going,” she said. “Through the coalition, we create a space for community to happen to alleviate poverty in Butler and create partnerships never thought of before.”

Poverty in Butler County affects all types of people, Del Vecchio said, which is why subcommittees for youth, young families, college students, seniors and those in recovery were created.

“Poverty is a thread woven through the Butler County tapestry. As a teacher you watch students have to decide ‘can I finish college or not?’ You’re not experiencing it, but affects you,” she said.

One partnership between the Butler Area Public Library and the Butler Health Clinic helps people get free blood pressure screenings and trains librarians to provide paperwork to give free prescriptions to those in need.

Most recently, the group employed college students to create a packet of free or low-cost activities for young families in the area.

“The ‘What’s a Kid to Do?’ brochure was for people who don’t have money to do many things but want to do something special with their kids,” Del Vecchio said. “We had a group of SRU students work on putting that together.”

The subcommittees gathered in SRU’s Smith Student Center to discuss their brainstorming sessions for partnerships that could help those in need.

Kayla Smith, of the Karns City Communities That Care outreach, said the young families group discussed finding ways to offer life skills and financial literacy courses.

“We were taught things when we were younger about finances and most people now don’t have that opportunity,” she said. “Training could be useful.”

Karen Jack of BC3’s Keys Program also suggested offering financial literacy to freshman students at SRU and BC3.

“Our main conversation was all about services and resources and how do we get those to students who need it, because we’re missing so many,” she said. “This population does fall through the cracks. We could make such a difference with a small change.”

The group ended their time together by pledging to continue the coalition’s mission outside the meeting. Some members said they would buy extra food at the grocery store and give it to a food bank, or continue to see their clients in poverty as people to relate to rather than simply aid.

Del Vecchio encouraged the group to take the pledge and get more community members involved in the coalition.

“Wouldn’t it be grand if next year at this time we had 200 people making this pledge?” she said. “If a few do a little bit, no one has to do it all.”