Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency (C/SCAA) partnered with The Low Income Forum on Energy (LIFE) on a unique educational opportunity across New York State through the national Walk a Mile Program, which connected New York State legislators and low income connstituents, one-on-one, for a month of walking a mile in each others' shoes.

Eighteen legislators from the New York State Assembly and the New York State Senate, along with Paul D. Tonko, president and CEO of NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority), agreed to participate in the program and were paired together with low-income families from around New York state during this month-long project, which ran from Jan. 14 to Feb. 11. Participants met face-to-face, conducted telephone meetings and had opportunities to share daily activities. Legislators were also asked to live on a Food Stamp budget during the project.

Locally, Assemblyman Brian Kolb, representing Onondaga, Ontario, Seneca, Cortland, and Cayuga counties, volunteered to be part of the “Walk a Mile” Program and was paired with a family in Seneca County. When asked what he hoped to gain from participating in this experience, Kolb said he was hoping to see what it means to be low-income in real life terms and see what changes need to be made from a policy standpoint.

The program officially kicked off at an informal lunch event on Friday, Jan. 25. Both the family and Assemblyman Kolb were eager to learn about each other's plight. The family openly shared many of the hardships they face on a day-to-day basis and Kolb shared a lot of his own experiences growing up in a large family.

The family said, “Kolb is very understanding and is a good listener.”

Since the meeting, Kolb and the family have talked on the phone and had plans to meet soon and possibly go grocery shopping together. During their first meeting, the family discussed their struggle to feed a family of four on a food stamp budget. Additionally, they talked to Kolb about other services such as Medicaid, Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The family also shared their dream to one day become homeowners.

Kolb said, “It has been very rewarding so far.”

Sharing these experiences is exactly what the Walk a Mile program is all about. The inspiration behind this national program is that relationships between those who create public policies, and those affected by these policies, provide more realistic understandings of the issues and obstacles faced when living on public assistance. Simultaneously, a better understanding of the difficulties and challenges involved with making policy decisions is revealed. These closely shared experiences between policy makers and those who are directly affected by those policies provide a deeper and fuller understanding of the issues and obstacles families face when living on public assistance. Simultaneously, participants had an opportunity to better understand the policy making process and help identify solutions to address the issues they face.

Paul D. Tonko, NYSERDA president and CEO said, “To better understand another person's life, try walking in their shoes. The Walk a Mile program offers this unique opportunity, which will create a deeper understanding of the difficult issues low-income families struggle with, including the high cost of energy. With this personal understanding, we, as policy makers, are able to respond to these struggles with policy that provides a more sensitive and meaningful outcome, and I am proud, on behalf of NYSERA, to be a part of this inspirational, forward-thinking initiative.”

The project will culminate with a reception held at the Second Annual Poverty Symposium sponsored by the New York State Community Action Association (NYSCAA) on Feb. 25 and 26. Here, families and legislators will be recognized for their participation in the Walk a Mile program. Additionally, each family will be given a guided tour of the state house and get a closer look at the life of a New York state legislator.

On May 20 and 21 there will be a keynote address at the LIFE Statewide Conference, will be which will be held at the Albany Marriott.

The Low Income Forum on Energy (LIFE) is sponsored by the New York State Department of Public Service and NYSERDA.

Garry Brown, incoming Chairman of the New York State Public Service Commission, said “One of the most important first steps a government official or policymaker can take is to move toward better understanding the challenges disadvantaged people face on a day-to-day basis. Through this innovative program, policymakers are matched with low-income constituents to bridge the gap between those who make policy and those who are often most dependent on those policies. I am pleased we have started this very worthwhile initiative. I am confident this outreach effort will become an important resource in our continuing efforts to help support struggling low-income families.”

Walk a Mile# is a national program based in Seattle, Wash. The program has trained and provided technical assistance to organizations in 36 states to successfully coordinate projects. For more information, visit the national Walk a Mile Web site at www.walkamile.org or contact Natasha Grossman at (206) 543-3027.

Katrina Kaucher is the Youth Services Director at Cayuga/Seneca Community Action Agency. She can be reached at C/SCAA at 252-0038.