Twenty-nine percent of Moscow’s population is living in poverty, according to a local group that held a public forum to address the issue Wednesday in City Hall.

Poverty on the Palouse forums have taken place regularly since December 2010, when Steve Bonnar, the executive director of the Sojourners’ Alliance, approached then-Mayor Nancy Cheney with concerns about a homeless shelter running out of funds.

The number of people involved has fluctuated, but recently the forums have seen an increase in participation, said Bonnar, who now serves as chair of the group.

“A single point of entry, so (impoverished) clients are not calling 10 to 15 different people to find services,” he said, explaining that Poverty on the Palouse helps impoverished people in the Moscow-Pullman community find resources.

“It’s important that people give back to their communities,” said Martin Erkela, the general manager of Frontier Communications in the Moscow-Pullman area.

Erkela, who also serves as vice president of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, attended Wednesday’s forum as a guest speaker.

His presentation focused on ways to centralize resources from multiple organizations. His suggestions included call centers as well as opportunities for job training and skill development.

“We don’t communicate to devices,” he said. “We communicate to people. Devices are just the tools.”

The best service one can provide for those living in poverty, Erkela said, is to help them find resources that will lead them to success.

“Skills, educational skills,” he said. “Not a handout, but a hand-up — how to write a resume or interview skills.”

Erkela also highlighted the upcoming America’s Best Communities Grant, which challenges eligible communities to show what they are doing to make life better for its citizens.

Multiple grants are available for the communities that apply. A non-profit organization must lead the application efforts, and must be located in a city with 8,000 to 90,000 residents.

One resource for impoverished people is Family Promise of the Palouse, which works to provide shelter for homeless families in the community.

Another organization is Backyard Harvest, which provides low-income families and other individuals with locally grown fruits and vegetables.

The Sojourners’ Alliance is a private, nonprofit group that works to provide for transitional housing and other resources for people in the community.

More information can be found at sojournersalliance.org, familypromisepalouse.org and backyardharvest.org.