Image from: www.cccnewyork.org
The Citizens’ Committee for Children put together this eye-catching and informative infographic illustrating the impact that the recession has had on New York City, and particularly New York City’s Children. Among the sobering statistics pictured on the image:
“- 1 in 3 New York City children (or 523,000 children) now lives in poverty.
– In Manhattan, a child who is black or Latino is 10 times more likely than a white child to live in poverty.
– In the Bronx, 50 percent of Latino children live in poverty.
– Between 2007 and 2010, there has been a 50 percent increase in the share of New York City families with children receiving food stamps.
– Housing Insecurity is also rising, with 40 percent of households in New York City spending more than a third of their income on rent.”
Click the image to see it enlarged, or read the article on the CCC website
This was an upsetting article to read. 1 in 3 NYC children are living in poverty? That is a scary statistic. I feel so far removed from this, working in a private school with children who are so unbelievably privileged and taken care of – financially, emotionally and physically. This is the kind of thing that tugs at my morals. Working in a private school is challenging but comfortable. I know that working in a public school with children living in poverty would challenge me in so many other ways. My first instinct on reading this article and looking at the infographic is I have to try and help in some way. But how do you start to help in the face of such overwhelming poverty?