Several anti-poverty events were held in the Nowra region recently and they all had the one goal in mind.
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The aim of the events was promote more discussion and action about poverty in Australia and around the world.
The free Nowra Uniting Church hosted barbecue was the first of the anti-poverty events and this was followed up by a meeting of services groups at Shoalhaven City Council.
The events concluded on Friday when the Shoalhaven Anti Poverty Committee, with strong support from local TAFE students will be hosted the ninth Prosperity in the Park Family Fun Day at Jaycees Park, commonly called Parramatta Park.
Aim of Prosperity in the Park was to raise awareness about poverty in the local area and to connect people to services in the community and everything on the day was free.
A report showing more than 730 000 children live in poverty highlights why these events were so important.
The Poverty in Australia 2016 report, prepared by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) in collaboration with the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW, showed s 17.4 per cent of all Australians aged under 15 are living in poverty, an increase of two per cent over the decade to 2014.
The report showed just over 40 per cent of children being raised by a single parent lived below the poverty line.
The poverty rate for women is at 13.8 per cent, compared to 12.8 per cent for men.
The vast majority of people below the poverty line were in rental housing (59.7 per cent), with most living in private rental housing (44.2 per cent).
Only 15.5 per cent of people living below the poverty line were homeowners.