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FROM THE EDITOR

Posted on December 9, 2010December 9, 2010 by Staff

Poverty in Orange County

The stream of statistics from the recent census continues to flow, and among the numbers coming out in the days ahead are even more solid estimates of people in poverty.

In a country with a 9.8 percent unemployment rate, expect little happy talk. Here in Orange County, the effects of long-term unemployment are apparent from the number of individuals seeking food assistance. When I sat down with IFC executive director Chris Moran a couple of weeks ago, the focal point of the conversation was less about the hotly debated new men’s shelter and more about how the organization and many like it are going to keep up with demand for food and assistance. The organization is now providing help to 3,100 families. They come from all walks of life, and for many it is a new experience.

The most up-to-date estimates of poverty in Orange County come from the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and show poverty among all ages in Orange County to be at 18 percent. If you’re inclined to believe that number is greatly skewed by the student population, please note that the rate dips only slightly to 16.6 percent for families with children under 18 and back up to 19.4 percent for those with children under 5. Besides, as Moran pointed out, “students are people too.”

(The poverty level for an individual in North Carolina is $10,830; for a family of four, it’s $22,050.)

There’ll be a more detailed breakdown on local poverty in the weeks ahead as the annual data that drives Title 1 school funding and other assistance programs is released.

We have a long history of congratulating ourselves on this county’s high quality of life. In the 1990s, when unemployment rates were almost a third of what they have been of late, that was an easier sale. But we are witness to an era when more and more of our neighbors have joined the ranks of the unemployed, underemployed and uninsured. This at a time when support for those in poverty from the state and federal level, as well as support for the university, this county’s top employer, are likely headed south.

Local governments as a result will no doubt have to again look long and hard at their support for local nonprofits and agencies and make some difficult choices.

But the chief bulwark against the effects of poverty is not in the deeds of government, it’s in the hearts of one’s neighbors.

This season, if you can dig a little deeper, then by all means dig a little deeper. If you’ve got a little time to help out, there’s a place for you. If you’ve got a little extra food, a coat or blanket or two, well, there are people lining up every day in need of such things.

They’re counting on you.

–Kirk Ross

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