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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 6

Series: Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands
From: WCAI / WNAN
Length: 00:04:34

Free and reduced lunch program statistics in Dennis indicate that there may be no accurate way to measure poverty. Read the full description.
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Also in the Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands series

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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 11 (00:04:59)
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 12 (00:05:08)
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 13 (00:05:07)
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Wampanoag in Mashpee: Of the 350 Wampanoag living in Mashpee today, 90% live from paycheck to paycheck, undeniably poor.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 14 (00:04:52)
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 20 (00:05:18)
From: WCAI / WNAN

The Road Ahead: If living the American Dream means getting married, buying a house, and raising a family, Cape Cod may not be a viable option for future generations.

Piece Description

Those who serve Cape Cod's poor are the first to point out that behind the veil of the affluent summer paradise we all recognize, hides a community that continually struggles to make ends meet. This duPont-Columbia Award-winning series examines the unique factors that contribute to persistent and hidden poverty throughout the Cape and Islands region.

Transcript

At a large table in the cafeteria kitchen at the Matacheese Middle School in Yarmouth, Laurel Visceglio and two of her fellow workers wrap baked chicken sandwiches in aluminum foil.

Laurel Visceglio: "Today we have rotini with meat sauce with Caesar salad, garlic bread. And we have chicken sandwiches. We always have a variety of sandwiches, salads and bagels."

These lunch ladies are from the community. They know the families of the children who eat here. They also know, says food service coordinator Garth Petracca, that this lunch may be the only real meal many of the school's children will eat today.

Garth Petracca: "For a lot of kids, not only is it the highlight of the day, but it's also, nutritionally, the most important meal of their day because for a lot of kids, especially here, they're not really getting very, very much at home. And sometimes, unless they are making it...
Read the full transcript

Related Website

www.capeandislands.org