A Marion County Poverty Conference was held at the Knoxville High School Media Center Monday.

The conference was led by Jayson Henry, CEO of the Well. A few of the items discussed included what motivates social class values and behaviors, how middle-class systems and structures clash with those living in poverty and poverty’s generational impact on families.

Larissa Van Donselaar who works for the Well in Knoxville told KNIA/KRLS News, “The purpose of the Poverty Conference today was to get all the local partners together within Marion County. We realized through our work that if we’re actually working with the same people. We’re collaborating with one another and we’re all serving the same people, same families, generations of the same families.” 

Van Donselaar said the idea was to get together and hear stories, sit down and work through real life case studies.