Generational poverty, or poverty of which at least two generations of a family are born into poverty, is the third concentration of the strategic Issue-Based Community Impact (IBCI) model of the Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. (JLA). According to 2019 U.S. Census data, 21.6% of Atlanta’s population lives in poverty, and a 2020 study by the Annie E. Casey Foundation affirms that 31% of Atlanta’s children live in poverty. The JLA deploys a wide range of actions, initiatives, service opportunities, and strategic partnerships to alleviate generational poverty in Atlanta. For decades, the JLA has partnered with organizations that support those experiencing poverty and its myriad effects, including the JLA-founded Atlanta Children’s Shelter, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and the Atlanta Mission, among many others. For a full list of JLA partners, click here. Since 2015, the JLA’s Little Black Dress Initiative (LBDI), a poverty-awareness and fundraising campaign, has risen over $275,000 for JLA community partners working to end generational poverty and lessen its impact. Through its Public and Political Affairs Committee (PAC), the JLA additionally works directly with elected officials to advocate for legislation that seeks to mitigate the effects of generational poverty.

The JLA additionally sits on a number of regional coalitions in Atlanta that focus on generational proverty, Georgia Advancing Communities Together, Georgia Justice Coalition, and Health Housing Coalition