GALLIPOLIS — The Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency will host a conversation on poverty on Thursday at the Gallia County Senior Center at 1165 Ohio 160.

The doors open at 6 p.m. and the meeting should conclude at around 8:30 p.m.

“We hope to see a good cross-section of the population, especially those people who receive our services so that their voices can be heard,” Tom Reed, executive director of GMCAA said.

The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies are hosting the conversations on poverty on behalf of Gov. Ted Strickland’s Anti-Poverty Task Force. The primary objective is to ensure the administration has access to a diverse set of perspectives, expertise and ideas. In addition, the conversations will assist in the goal of developing strategic recommendations for the administration to consider, aimed at reducing the percentage of Ohioans living at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level.

“These conversations will greatly benefit Ohio’s low-income populations by providing a forum for advocates, low-income individuals, government agencies, non-profit agencies, practitioners and other stake holders to share ideas on how to reduce poverty in Ohio,” Phil Cole, executive director of the OACAA said.

Reed said the GMCAA conversation on poverty is open to all members of the public, from politicians, to agency workers to those who receive assistance from GMCAA. Reed said all “titles” will be left at the door to facilitate an open and honest discussion about how to serve those who utilize the agency’s services.

“Primarily we want to hear from those who receive our services,” Reed said. “They can shape our conversation, not those who think we know what’s best.”

Reed said the local priorities that come out of this meeting will go directly to the governor’s task force on poverty and will shape some of the programming done at GMCAA.

“We are always seeking community input for our programming and this meeting is an ideal opportunity for us to hear from the community to help us meet the needs of the people of Gallia and Meigs Counties,” Reed added.

For more information call Reed or Teresa Varian at 992-6629 or 367-7341.