In Kentucky 16.9% of the population lives in poverty, over 684,000 people.  Children: 23% of all children in Kentucky under the age of 18 live in poverty. By one estimate a child is born into poverty in Kentucky every 44 minutes [1]. It has been said that there are no poor children, but children of poor parents. Children don’t get themselves into poverty, and they are powerless to get themselves out. These children may grow up without the opportunity for education, and may not receive proper healthcare and nutrition which leads to the likelihood of them continuing the cycle with their children.

Working men and women. In 2008, The Federal minimum wage is $5.85 per hour.  However according to the 2008 poverty guidelines, a family of two is below the poverty level if they make less than $14,000 per year or $6.74 per hour. A single parent who works full time making above minimum wage could still be living below the US poverty level. These people, although working full time, may find themselves unable to pay for basic necessities for themselves, their children and family members. 

People who work, but still don’t earn enough to take care of their basic needs are referred to as “the working poor”. A Business week article suggested that "the share of the workforce earning subpoverty pay [is] 24%".


Elderly and Disabled: In Eastern Kentucky,one in three elderly women who live alone are in poverty, often because they outlive their spouses. [Appalachian Regional Commission http://www.arc.gov/index.do?nodeId=2266]. Further, "those ages 85 and over, were more likely to be poor than the entire over-65 population". For the elderly and disabled, life on a fixed income can be one of difficult choices, deciding between medication, food, or heating.