12th Annual McGinley-Rice Symposium Examines Poverty

When asked about ways people can help the poor, Nursing Professor Sister Rosemary Donley, S.C., explained that even simple gestures can make a difference.

Sister Rosemary Donley, S.C.,
Sister Rosemary Donley, S.C.

“Give a poor child a book,” Donley said. “Young kids living in shelters with their parents are the ones who need books. When you’re poor, you move a lot, and you can’t take everything with you. Sometimes you can’t take anything but yourself. For a poor child to have a book of his or her own is a great treasure.”

Donley founded and directs the School of Nursing’s annual McGinley-Rice Symposium on Social Justice for Vulnerable Populations. This year’s event, which will be held virtually, will focus on those living in poverty.

The 12 annual symposium, The Face of the Person Who is Poor, will be held Thursday, Oct. 21, and Friday, Oct. 22. Its keynote addresses, breakout sessions and plenary panels will showcase organizations and professionals that have developed programs to help support those who are poor, in particular, families and children.

“Poverty is a root cause of many of the social problems we see whether it’s hunger, mental illness, addiction or some physical disability that a person might have where they can’t get or keep a job because of their illness,” said Donley, who also is The Jacques Laval Chair for Justice for Vulnerable Populations. “It’s very hard to get out of poverty.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 37 million Americans made up the 11.4% poverty rate in 2020, the same year the United States was hit hard by COVID-19. More than 16% of the 2020 figure were people under 18.

“The top groups of the poor in America are older people, families with children that are often headed by a single mother or single parent, people with mental illness and veterans,” Donley said. “And the pandemic has made everything worse—it unmasked poverty. People who would never have gone to food banks are now waiting in line for food. Even though the government has tried to assist people, it’s still tough.”

Keynote speakers at the symposium are:

  • The Rev. David Beckmann, president emeritus, Bread for the World
  • Joan Rosen Bloch, associate professor emeritus graduate nursing, the College of Nursing and Health Professions, Drexel University
  • Sister Donna Markham, O.P., president and chief executive officer, Catholic Charities USA
  • Ken Regal, executive director, Just Harvest.

Some of the topics to be discussed during the two-day event include Changing the Culture of Poverty, Outcomes of Poverty and Poverty is a Social Determinant of Health.

“Through this year’s symposium, we’re saying that poverty is a global problem, but it’s also a problem here in the United States,” said Donley. “And if you look around, it might be in your own neighborhood.”

This year’s symposium is an example of how Duquesne University has stood up for the health and economic well-being of people and communities on the margins for more than 140 years.

For more information, including the event schedule, list of speakers, continuing education details, registration and cost, visit the McGinley-Rice Symposium website.