POOR RURAL WHITES ARE A MAJOR AND PERSISTENT POVERTY PROBLEM, AND HAVE RECEIVED INSUFFICIENT ATTENTION. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT--(1) WHITES IN POVERTY TEND TO BE SEPARATED FROM MAJOR NATIONAL MARKETS AND THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED AMERICAN WAYS OF LIFE, (2) EMERGENCE OF MANY SPECIAL PROGRAMS TO CATER TO "TARGET GROUPS" ON THE BASIS OF ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL NEED TEND TO ACCENTUATE THIS SEPARATION, (3) SUCH SEPARATION MAY WORK TO THE DETRIMENT OF POOR RURAL WHITES, (4) MAJOR NEW PROGRAMS OR MAJOR REORIENTATIONS OF PRESENT PROGRAMS MAY BE NEEDED TO REMEDY THIS SITUATION, AND (5) THIS NEW PROGRAM EMPHASIS SHOULD BE TOWARD UNIFIED EFFORTS THAT PROVIDE CONTINUING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CITIZENS. WHILE POOR RURAL WHITES TEND TO SHARE IN SOME OF THE SAME TYPES OF DISADVANTAGEMENT AS OTHER POOR GROUPS, SOME UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THEIR GROUP ARE--(1) A TENDENCY TO IDENTIFY POVERTY AS A NONWHITE PROBLEM, AND FOR THE WHITE COMMUNITY TO CONSIDER PROGRAMS IN THESE AREAS TO BE AIMED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY AT THE NEGRO COMMUNITY, (2) A TREND OF INCREASING COMPETITION AMONG WHITES AND NONWHITES FOR THE FEW AVAILABLE INCOME OPPORTUNITIES IN DEPRESSED AREAS, (3) AN EMPHASIS ON EXPECTED SOCIAL PARTICIPATION OF ALL AGE GROUPS AS A QUALIFYING CONDITION FOR PROGRAM BENEFITS, AND (4) A COMMUNICATION BARRIER AMONG THE POOR. (ES)