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Agency Surveys
What does the face of poverty look like in our community? The recent economic turmoil that has permeated the fabric of our society may have changed the perception of who is poor and why they can’t provide for their own basic needs. In July 2010, the Center for People in Need released results of a December 2009 survey that uncovers some information regarding the issues and barriers faced by those living in poverty.
The surveys were translated into three languages and completed by 2,310 families during the 2009 Toyland for Kids gift distribution at the Center for People in Need. Topics included education and employment, transportation, food and utilities, child care, and health. This is the first year questions were asked about the effects of poverty on families. In 2008, 28,903 people in Lancaster County were living at or below the poverty threshold, which for a family of three is an annual household income of $18,310.
The results were compiled and analyzed under the supervision of Maria Rosario de Guzman, UNL Extension Specialist in Adolescent Development and Assistant Professor of Child, Youth, and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The results are available in print publications, “Faces of Poverty Today in Lincoln, Nebraska” and “One in Five…Food Insecurity Among Children in Lincoln and Lancaster County, Nebraska.”
Click on the related documents link below to read the results from the 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 poverty surveys.