There is No Single Solution to Poverty

More statistics on poverty -

Of  37 million people living in poverty in the United States -

55 percent are between the ages of 18-64

35 percent are under the age of 18

10 percent are above the age of 64

38 percent of people over 18 work (the working poor)

62 percent did not work one week during the last year.

So there are those who work, those who want to work but can't find a job, those who can't work (the elderly or the ill), and those who do not want to work.    

For those who work or want to work, we need to provide assistance to help locate jobs and possibly create jobs and then pay a Living Wage for their work.

For the elderly, ill and unemployable, we need to provide appropriate welfare programs to care for this population.

For the people who can work but choose not to, we need to provide counseling, encouragement and incentives to join our workforce.  

There is not one solution for our poor and the problem of poverty is not going to go away.  But we can work to help address the issues in our local community and throughout our country. This requires attention, focus and a commitment of resources to fund programs to help.  

Our poor cannot continue to be just statistics.

Statistical Sources:

"Income Climbs, Poverty Stabilizes, Uninsured Rate Increases."  U.S. Census Bureau News.  29 Aug 2006.  http://www.census.gov/press-release/www/releases/archive/income_wealth/007419.html

Dalaker, Joseph, and Proctor, Berandette, "Poverty in the United States:  2002."  U.S. Census Bureau.  Sep 2003. http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/p60-222.pdf