Poverty in America is a serious, widespread and growing problem that must be a priority among our leaders in government.

My guest to today's State of the Union Address is Lavell Brown. Lavell graduated from Zion-Benton High School in 2011, but was unsure about where he was going and what his future would hold. He spent most of his time in the streets, was unemployed and hung around with others who were in a similar situation.

Lavell found the YouthBuild program and started on a pathway to map out his future.

Learn more about Lavell:

 

 

I’m committed to working with organizations like YouthBuild that have deep roots in our community to tackle poverty head on at the local level, and during the State of the Union, I hope Lavell will hear President Obama articulate a new vision to reduce poverty nationally. By working together we can make real progress to help struggling families.

Learn more about my efforts to combat poverty here.