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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 13

From: WCAI / WNAN
Series: Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands
Length: 05:07

Wampanoag in Mashpee: Of the 350 Wampanoag living in Mashpee today, 90% live from paycheck to paycheck, undeniably poor. Read the full description.

Jameswarrenphoto_small 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. Each story is set in one of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

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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 (05:00)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Meals on Wheels on the Vineyard: Much of the world knows Martha's Vineyard as a rich person's playground, but many locals are struggling to find adequate food and shelter.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 10 (04:04)
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Stressed Out in Eastham: According to a survey conducted by Barnstable County last year, 80% of the most needy households on the Cape wrestle with stress and anxiety.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 9 (05:03)
From: WCAI / WNAN

The Winter Rental Shuffle in Sandwich: With off-season rental-housing prices skyrocketing, where are the working poor expected to look for shelter?
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 8 (04:52)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Homeless in Hyannis Part 2: Shelters housed more than 500 homeless people last year. But untold others live on friends' couches, in motel rooms, and in tents in the woods.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 7 (05:05)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Homeless in Hyannis Part 1: Shelters housed more than 500 homeless people last year. But untold others live on friends' couches, in motel rooms, and in tents in the woods
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 6 (04:35)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Free and reduced lunch program statistics in Dennis indicate that there may be no accurate way to measure poverty.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 12 (05:09)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Elderly Poor in Harwich: The ever-rising costs of living means that for a growing number of seniors, retirement has not been the life of leisure they may have expected.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 14 (04:52)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Youth Flight in Falmouth: If the next generation of teachers, nurses, and firefighters can't make the Cape their home, then who will serve and take care of the people who can?
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 15 (04:59)
From: WCAI / WNAN

Empty Nets in Provincetown: Cape Cod, a land named for its bounty of fish, doesn't have many commercial fishermen left.
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Two Cape Cods: Hidden Poverty on the Cape and Islands - Part 20 (05:19)
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. Each story is set in one of the fifteen towns on Cape Cod and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket.

Transcript

This year, the Mashpee Wampanoag will receive word from the federal government regarding their longstanding bid for federal recognition. For the Wampanoag, the hope is that recognition will bring opportunities for federal assistance. As it is, high housing costs are fracturing the native community and creating overcrowding. But an even larger problem may be that in less than a generation, pollution and development have made it hard for American Indians live off the land.

In Waquoit Bay, Annawon Weeden washes his hands at the water's edge for less than a moment before he spots the a woodpecker. He points at a perfectly round hole in nearby tree and listens.

Weeden is a 34-year old Mashpee Wampanoag. He spent much of his youth in near the Mashpee River, where his ancestors have lived for 12,000 years. But as a young man, Weeden was unable to find work in Mashpee for more than $9.00...
Read the full transcript

Related Website

http://www.capeandislands.org