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ALBANY, GA. -- The leaders who participated in Strive 2 Thrive's Thursday night “Big View” meeting says trying to solve the issue of poverty without the input of the impoverished is like the right hand trying to work left hand problems. They say this may be the issue with the city of Albany.

“Often those families are not brought to the table and their voices are not heard,” said Strive 2 Thrive Director Ausha Jackson.

Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard also attended the meeting. During the 2011 campaign season part of her platform was to wipe out poverty within the Albany area. Now every Thursday she says her calendar is booked to aid Strive 2 Thrive.

Hubbard says there's a possibility that bus routes may change and it'll be the impoverished who are affected the most. She and others believe a top priority should be accommodating these residents.

“Many of them are currently enrolled in GED programs and the public transportation stops running prior to them getting out of class,” said Ausha Jackson.

Jackson says child care and affordable healthcare are just among the barriers that many face. She believes it's these types of issues that hold many families back.

While the Strive 2 Thrive has seen a 91 percent graduation rate within the last year, she says overcoming poverty is not an overnight deal.

“It took me eight years to get out of poverty totally, totally not dependent on the system. So it's going to take some time but they are definitely moving in the right direction,” said Jackson.