Region 10: Rich in Agricultural Resources, Abundant in Poverty

Print This Post


Region 10 with Governor

Pictured from left: Kathy Megahee of Thomas County, Beth Capuson of Seminole County, Jessica Jennings of Mitchell and Baker counties, Gwen Houston of Early County, Ronnie Burke of Decatur County, Gov. Nathan Deal, Sen. Dean Burke (Dist. 11), Leigh Ribolzi  of Miller County, Nola Daughtry of Grady County,  Ginny Pike  of Worth County, and Sandy Bamford of Dougherty County

Not pictured: Alicia Varnum of Calhoun County, Patsy Shirley of Lee County, Lori Glenn of Colquitt County, and Margaret Halbrook of Terrell County

I got to spend some time with our representatives from Region 10 at the Capitol last week when they trekked up from the southernmost corner of the state to Atlanta. They hosted a reception to thank their legislators and talk about the condition of children and families in their districts.

Region 10 is rich in natural and agricultural resources that are vital to Georgia’s agricultural productivity. But for the children and families living there, there is also an abundance of poverty, low educational levels, poor health conditions, and few economic opportunities.

The legislators that stopped by listened to their local Family Connection representatives discuss and share data about child poverty, low birthweight, teen pregnancy, and literacy rates there. They also discussed strategies Collaboratives developed with partners to provide educational and economic opportunities across the region to mitigate the impact of poverty.

While things are improving thanks to communities working together, there’s still a lot to do. Contact your local Collaborative to learn more.