a center of economic prosperity# driven by steel mills.

But like many communities that# depended on that industry,## Steubenville has struggled to find its# place in the moder even as the country as a whole continues# to see high growth and employment.

Judy Woodruff visited the small city in# Ohio to try to understand why many of its## residents say they feel forgotten, as part of# her ongoing series America at a Crossroads.

ANNOUNCER: This is a story about some people, some# American people who live along the Ohio River,## in a valley nestled amid three states,# Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

JOHN SAUNDERS, United Steelworkers# Representative: When I came out of high school,## you could pick wherever you wanted.

JUDY WOODRUFF: John Saunders# is a United Steelworkers union## representative who's been working in the# steel industry in Steubenv for over 40 years.

He still# remembers how it used to be.

JOHN SAUNDERS: People were hiring, and# you had opportunities to go wherever you## thought fit.

I don't think I'm going# to be around to see the heyday again.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Much has changed# since the glory years of the 1950s,## '60s and '70s.

Growing competition from Asia began# shuttering mills in the '80s, and the passage of## the North American Free Trade Agreement, or# NAFTA, in 1994 only accelerated that trend.

As jobs went away, the Steubenville metro# area's population plummeted from 163,000 in## 1980 to just over 114,000 today.

Saunders# says people in this region feel betrayed.

JOHN SAUNDERS: They're bitter their families# left.

They're bitter that they can't get their## family.

These jobs over the years were third,# four, five generations of the same families## working there.

Everybody don't live happily# ever after, OK?

There's been some real pain.

JUDY WOODRUFF: A quarter of Steubenville# residents live at or below the poverty line,## compared to 11.5 percent nationally.

And the# median income in Steubenville is $39,000,## compared with $74,000 across the country.

REV.

ASHLEY STEELE, Urban Mission Ministries:# So, you are in what we call ou where you can shop, choose# the items that you would like.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Pastor Ashley Steele at# the Urban Mission Ministries Food Bank## in Steubenville is trying to help# fill the gap for those in need.

REV.

ASHLEY STEELE: So prior to the pandemic,# we averaged about 10,000 visits to our pantry## throughout an entire year.

During the height# of the pandemic, we were over 33,000 visits.

JUDY WOODRUFF: But it sounds like you still# have a large number of people to serve.

REV.

ASHLEY STEELE: Yes, we will# exceed that number this year.

JUDY WOODRUFF: The poverty here has had a dramatic# effect on the All of the downtown area is defined as a food# desert by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

And on the south side of town, life expectancy# is 17 years below the national average.

James and## Lisa Bogo have two children aged 2 and 16.

They# rely on food assistance from the Urban Mission## to feed their young family.

They say inflation# has made it difficult to afford necessities.

LISA BOGO, Parent: Food pantries, you# know, they're helping a lot.

And it's## sad because he works hard, very hard.# And I might stay at home with them,## but, at one point, I was working# too.

And it still wasn't enough.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Despite the fact that# federal grants provide 10 percent of## the food here and 30 percent of# the Urban Mission's shelter budget,## people here are frustrated by a feeling that# their struggles are being ignored by Washington.

One resident recently complained: "We're# the flyover country in flyover country."

Do you feel Washington hears what's# happening in communities like these?

JAMES BOGO, Parent: No, no.

No, they don't.

LISA BOGO: Not at all.

Not at all.

(CROSSTALK) JUDY LISA BOGO: Honestly, h but if you look at the world,# and you look at our country,## you see all these immigrant groups,# people coming in from other countries.

They get tons of assistance from the# government.

But what about the people## who live here, who are American citizens,# have been here all our lives?

You know,# we kind of just kind of get shoved to# the wayside.

It's almost we don't matter## enough.

Maybe our votes don't matter enough.# I don't know what the case, what it might JUDY WOODRUFF: Those votes# have shifted dramatically,## along with the city's economic# fortunes.

With its steel this used to be a Democratic stronghold# and a vital stop on presidential campaigns.

In fact, I visited Steubenville in 1976 to# cover candidate Jimmy Carter's stop here.## Barack Obama carried it narrowly in 2008.# But eight years later, and again in 2020,## Donald Trump won the county overwhelmingly.

And# many would like to see him return again next year.

JAMES BOGO: If Donald Trump takes# it, I think we will be better off.

LISA BOGO: When Donald Trump was president,# our area was not a JAMES BOGO: As bad as it is now.

LISA BOGO: People had gas.

Pe (CROSSTALK) LISA BOGO: Yes, it just didn't# seem people were struggling as bad.

JAMES BOGO: It seems ever JUDY WOODRUFF: I will have# a beer.

I will have a beer.

CARMEN DESTEFANO, Retired# Steelworker: Give me a Bud MA N: Bud Light?

CARMEN DES Over at th a longtime steelworker whose son Carmen# Jr. followed him into the industry.

CARMEN DESTEFANO: My son was lucky.# He got a job in a steel mill right## out of high school.

But right now,# he lost his job at Whe He went -- fortunately, he# got a job at Weirton Steel,## and he's laid off again.

Whether he's going# to go back or not, I can't JUDY WOODRUFF: Who does he blame# for what's happened in his career?

CARMEN DESTEFANO: You don't want to know# that question.

The Democrats.

Me and him## argue it all the time.

He blames the Democrats.

JUDY WOODRUFF: And what# does he say they have done?

CARMEN DESTEFANO: They have ru figure it out.

My dad is rolling over# in his grave, a staunch Democrat.

Me I'm a staunch Democrat.

My brothers were staunch# -- and my son is a Republican, I call him.

JUDY WOODRUFF: While many white working-class# voters have shifted to the right, 2020 exit## polls show that among all voters# earning less than $50,000 a year,## including all racial groups, the# majority went for Joe Biden, not Trump.

About one in six Steubenville residents is Black,## and City Councillor Royal Mayo says# his community has been hit the hardest.

ROYAL MAYO, Steubenville, Ohio, City# Council: I mean, in the Black community,## I mean, it's always been a struggle.

Ev It's sad to say, but just like everywhere else,## our unemployment was already twice# the unemployment before the downturn.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Mayo says all of# Steubenville has been helped by## an infusion of federal dollars.

The city won a# $500,000 housing and some of which will go towards# building an outdoor learning center.

ROYAL MAYO: It's going to# be right here.

It's going## to be a commun JUDY WOODRUFF: And he and others# are now working to secure a $50## million federal grant to redevelop# the north end of town.

But he says## many people here don't realize the# impact the federal government has.

ROYAL MAYO: I'm not 100 percent satisfied with# the Democrats too, but I shouldn't be.

I mean,## they're not there to just serve me, because# all my fellow Democrats don't agree with me## on every point.

But there needs to# be a middle ground that Democrats## and Republicans alike can agree on to# get some things done for the people.

CHANDLER HOFFMAN, Student: Half my# day is college credit-plus classes.

JUDY WOODRUFF: Oh, OK. JUDY WOODRUFF: The hope for better days# ahead is shared by Chandler Hoffman,## a junior on the high school football# team who plans to attend college.

CHANDLER HOFFMAN: I want to be a civil engineer# or a mechanical engineer.

I think I will come## back to this place after college.

It's like a# home to me.

I really don't want to JUDY WOODRUFF: With 20 million# federal dollars in pandemic aid,## his high school is now constructing a new science,# technology, engineering and math bui On a damp Friday night just before Halloween,## the Steubenville Big Red had their first# playoff game.

Chandler, an offens took the field.

The final score, 42-0# Steubenville, a welcome victory for a## city that feels it's missed out on its share# of wins and would love to turn that around.

For the "PBS NewsHour," I'm Judy# Woodruff in Steubenville, Ohio.