Living in Poverty in America

Insights into Poverty & A Campaign to Cut It in Half

Did you know

• One in eight Americans lives in poverty.
• 36.5 million Americans live below the poverty line.
• A family of four earning $18,810 a year is considered a family living in poverty.

To learn more about poverty in this country, visit the Poverty USA Web site from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. You'll find out the facts about poverty, learn about organizations working on the problem, and read stories of hope. And you'll find out how you can help.

Be sure to view their Tour Poverty USA, a dramatic accounting of how a family of four living in poverty spends their money.

Do you know about John Edwards' campaign to cut poverty in half in ten years? Find out more about Half in Ten.

Read a report from The Center for American Progress Task Force on Poverty (2007):From Poverty to Prosperity: A National Strategy to Cut Poverty in Half.