Bibliography

The following are sources to the statistics found in our publications:

Statistics found on the 2009 Pledge Card

182,000 in our region are living in poverty.

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey.

Today, 1 in 6 of all children in America live in poverty.

• U.S. Census Bureau, 2007 Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the Current Population Survey. Calculations by the Children’s Defense Fund.

Child and family homelessness are at an all-time high – with more than 17,000 children affected in Massachusetts alone

• National Center On Family Homelessness, Massachusetts State Report Card

One out of every four income-earning families in our region—nearly 900,000 people in Massachusetts alone—don’t earn enough to cover basic necessities.

• Bridging the gaps between earnings and Basic Needs in Mass., The Center for Social Policy UMASS Boston, October 2007.

Jobless rates are the highest they’ve been in years.

• Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development

Low-income children can enter kindergarten as much as 1- 2 years behind in language and other skills that are critical to future success.

• Urahn SK. (September 2001). “Promoting Universal Access to High Quality Early Education for Three and Four- Year Olds.” The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Starting Early, Starting Strong Initiative.

Statistics found on the 2009 Help Today Strength Tomorrow Overview

Family homelessness is at an all-time high . This includes more than 17,000 children . Last year, we helped nearly 11,200 people keep or get homes.

• Bridging the Gap: Early Education and Care for Massachusetts Young Children” A report from Horizons for Homelesss Children, October 2008
• America’s Youngest Outcasts: State Report card on Homeless Children, March 2009.

One in four working families in Massachusetts doesn’t earn enough to cover the basic costs of living . Last year, we helped nearly 734,000 people receive emergency food assistance.

• Bridging the gaps between earnings and Basic Needs in Mass., The Center for Social Policy UMASS Boston, October 2007

One third of adult workers in Massachusetts lack the skills necessary to compete in an increasingly high-tech, knowledge-based economy. Last year, we helped more than 13,000 people gain competitive skills.

• MassINC, New Skills for  a New Economy, 2000

Low-income children can begin kindergarten as much as 1- 2 years behind . Last year, our work resulted in nearly 22,000 children being enrolled in high quality early education and care programs.

• Urahn SK. (September 2001). “Promoting Universal Access to High Quality Early Education for Three and Four- Year Olds.” The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Starting Early, Starting Strong Initiative

Every year over 11,000 kids in MA drop out of school costing Massachusetts nearly $100 million a year in unearned wages, unpaid taxes and social services. Last year, we helped nearly 139,000 stay in afterschool and other programs proven to prevent this.

• Mass Mentoring Counts survey