Social workers in rural midwestern areas such as Iowa must consider distinctive characteristics of the poor in those areas to help clients within the framework of family and community. Characteristics of rural poor include presence of father in family, residence in small towns with a single industry, presence of high numbers of female elderly, community skepticism of social welfare programs and denial of poverty conditions, independence and rugged individualism as societal values, distant or nonexistent social services, intolerance of difference, predominance of primary or kin relationships, lack of anonymity, less mobility, more stigmatization. The social worker practicing in these areas must be a generalist, autonomous, and self-directed, needs to be creative in developing resources, and must provide a very personal type of service. Intervention must emphasize family and community and focus on short-term practical goals. Social workers must help the poor family meet physical needs, mobilize family strengths, teach the family to develop goals and to reach them, mobilize support system networks within the community and the extended family, advocate for the client and also on behalf of service agencies if the client is reluctant, develop resources within the community, and educate the community about the extent and cause of poverty. (LFL)