SVP Tucson member Jane Shurtleff takes a deeper look at how Southern Arizona is working to break the cycle of generational poverty through coordinated community action.
In From Poverty to Prosperity: Breaking the Cycle of Generational Poverty, Jane explores the Prosperity Initiative, a regional framework designed to reduce generational poverty and increase economic mobility across Pima County and the City of Tucson.
The Prosperity Initiative includes 13 evidence-based policies and three cross-policy strategies focused on housing, health, education, and workforce development.
The article examines how several major community partners are translating those priorities into action.
Pima County is investing in areas including early childhood education, affordable housing, broadband access, workforce development, and programs designed to improve household financial stability.
The City of Tucson is implementing its Prosperity Initiative Action Plan, including efforts to strengthen pathways from education to employment, support small businesses and entrepreneurs, and expand economic opportunity in underserved communities.
The Community Coalition for Prosperity (CC4P) is helping connect nonprofit organizations, community leaders, businesses, philanthropy, higher education, subject-matter experts, and people with lived experience around a shared approach to systems-level change.
The article also highlights the important role businesses can play as employers, funders, and community partners. Tucson Electric Power is working alongside community organizations to improve energy affordability, connect residents with resources, and strengthen long-term financial resilience.
Together, these examples demonstrate the central idea behind the Prosperity Initiative: lasting progress on generational poverty requires coordinated action across sectors rather than isolated interventions.
Jane Shurtleff is a member of SVP Tucson, the Rotary Club of Oro Valley, and the Community Coalition for Prosperity.
Read more about the Prosperity Initiative and Jane’s article on the CC4P website.