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The faces of our clients may
surprise you.
Like many difficult social
issues, poverty and homelessness are very often misunderstood or tainted by stereotypes. The simple fact is that
the men, women, and children who come to PERC are as diverse as any group of people, with widely ranging stories,
circumstances, and aspirations.
Here are the facts:
According to the latest report
from the Census Bureau, 37 million Americans are currently living in poverty. Despite
the general economic recovery, the percentage of the U.S. population living in poverty continues to rise.
The rate of child poverty is 17.6 percent (according to 2005 statistics). 1 out of
every 5 children live below the poverty line.
The poverty line is set at
an annual income of $9,573 or less for an individual, or $19,971 for a family of four (with two children). Under this measure,
a family would spend about a third of its income on food and have nothing left over for clothing or entertainment or health
insurance.
Affordable housing is practically
nonexistent. With rental prices continuing to increase due to the real estate
boom, no individual earning minimum wage can afford to sustain himself/herself in a one-bedroom apartment. An employee must earn at least $15.00/hour to afford a one-bedroom apartment in the state of New Jersey
and almost $20.00/hour to pay for a one-bedroom apartment in New York.
People living in poverty are our neighbors. They are parents who must choose to pay rent or buy food; They are children who cannot grow into mature adults because they do not have a consistent
diet; They are senior citizens struggling to survive on little or no income.
PERC exists as a solution to these problems.
Our holistic approach to defeat poverty provides an enormous and lasting benefit to each participant by increasing hope,
optimism, and self-esteem. The Department of Welfare, the Federal Government,
the County of Hudson County, the State of New Jersey, the City of Union City and the United Way are all major supporters
of PERC because of our extraordinary work.
(thank you to USCCB for making this film) |
