Blog Action Day: Poverty on Staten Island

Image via WikipediaAll over the blogosphere today people are posting about poverty -- we thought we'd share some facts about poverty on Staten Island.

First, let's put poverty in context:

The federal government puts the poverty threshold at $20,614 for a family of four. However, a 2000 poll revealed that a majority of Americans believe it takes at least $35,000 annually to provide adequately for a family of four. (Poverty Pulse, CCHD)

So, how many Staten Islanders live in poverty? (Source: US Census)

• 10.2% of individuals -- 9.9% of those over 65; 13.2% of children meet the Federal definition of living in poverty
  
• While only 8% of Staten Island families live in poverty, almost one in four single moms and their kids -- 23% of families with female head of household -- meet the poverty criteria. Single moms have a tough time making ends meet.
  

But, how many are trying to manage on less than $35,000/year?

• 31% of households have less than $35,000 in income
• The mean retirement income is $19,126

In fact, if you work full time at a job that pays NYS minimum wage ($7.15/hour) you will only earn $14,872 a year. Try to raise your children on that.

We share these figures with you, not to say how bad things are on Staten Island. We know many communities are much poorer. Rather, we want you to be aware that people all around us contend with poverty every day -- the person waiting on you in the corner store, the retiree who sees their savings shrinking, never to be replaced again, the mother who doesn't risk time off from her job for parent-teacher meetings.

Today, take a minute to think about what you can do to help. Person to person, community-wide, politically, nationally, internationally. Poverty has many faces and needs many different strategies.