January Is poverty in America awareness month

Social justice news
January 2003

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January is poverty in America awareness month
The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is launching a new national awareness campaign that emphasizes the growing number of poor Americans. Timed to coincide with the start of Poverty in America Awareness Month, the new CCHD-sponsored campaign uses television, radio and print ads, beginning with a press conference at the National Press Club on January 7 to attract attention to the 32.9 million Americans who now live in poverty.

The poverty rate is 1.3 million higher than it was in 2000, according to the most recent U.S. Census, and poverty for children remained higher than any other age group. Also in January, CCHD is releasing the latest public opinion poll on attitudes and awareness of poverty in America.

According to Father Robert Vitillo, executive director of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, "December brings outpourings of good will and concern for the poor, but in January the nation returns to its usual routine and the poor are still poor. By focusing on poverty in January, we hope to remind Americans early each year that poverty remains very much a part of American life. And by putting an honest human face on the poor we hope to reinforce the need for affordable housing, job-training and living wages. If we are to break the cycle of poverty permanently, we must provide long-term solutions, not stopgap measures."

Father Robert Vitillo is available at 202-541-3367 (e-mail: rvitillo@usccb.org)

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