JANUARY IS “POVERTY IN AMERICA AWARENESS MONTH”
NEW MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ATTENTION ON LIFE BELOW THE “POVERTY LINE”

Washington, D.C. - January 2007 - The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) this month launched a new national awareness campaign that calls attention to the 37 million Americans now living in poverty, according to the most recent U.S. Census figures. At the same time, it focuses greater attention on the struggles poor and low-income people face who are living below the “poverty line”.

Timed to coincide with the beginning of Poverty in America Awareness Month, the new CCHD-sponsored campaign uses television, radio and print ads to attract attention to the high number of   working Americans who are struggling to survive with low-income jobs. The poverty rate declined slightly from 12.7 percent in 2004 to 12.6 percent in 2005.

According to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau in August 2006, 9.9 percent of all families are living in poverty which amounts to 7.7 million families down slightly from 7.9 million in 2004.

As defined by the government and updated for inflation using the Consumer Price Index, the new  poverty threshold for a family of four is $19,971; for a family of three, $15,577; and for a family of two, $12,755. Other studies have shown that Americans believe the current poverty threshold figure is unrealistic. A recent study conducted by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development shows that most Americans believe it takes closer to $35,000 annually to adequately house, clothe and feed a family of four.

For all children under 18, the poverty rate is 17.6 percent. The new number of children in poverty is 12.9 million.

According to Timothy Collins, executive director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, "Many people living in poverty are working more than one job and still can not make ends meet. They are making hard choices on a daily basis between providing food, housing and health care for their families. CCHD supports projects that bring about systemic change by attacking the root causes of poverty and breaking the cycle of poverty for good."

This year’s campaign offers a glimpse at the struggles that poor and low-income individuals and families face day-to-day. It seeks to educate the public about the cost of living and the value society places on many low-income, yet necessary, occupations.

Since it inception, the Campaign has provided seed money to train leaders in the community for projects that are initiated and led by low-income people themselves. Over the years, CCHD has offered a total of $280 million to more than 7,000 such projects.

Established in 1970 by the U.S. Catholic Bishops, the Catholic Campaign for Human Development is one of the largest private funders of self-help programs initiated and led by poor people in the United States. Committed to the permanent elimination of poverty and injustice in the U.S., CCHD has supports programs nationwide that know no racial or religious boundaries - projects that help create jobs, improve neighborhoods and allow people to find a way out of poverty not just for a day, but a lifetime.

Contact:
Mary Yerrick
301-320-6888
myerrick@aol.com

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