There are more than one million people in Wake County, with nearly half living in Raleigh. Of that one million, approximately nine percent live in poverty. That’s almost 90,000 people living on minimum wage – unable to provide the proper care and education for their children, or being in a state of homelessness – having to sleep in their cars, if they even have one. In the face of such a staggering statistic, the Wake County community must do something to help. People matter, and we all deserve access to the basic necessities of life. Will you join the nonprofit leaders in our community fighting for poverty alleviation?
“A lot of people believe that people choose to be poor, that they choose not to work, they choose not to put in the effort, and it’s really not what we see here. The staggering statistic to me is that 33% of families in Wake County with children live in poverty.”
– Lisa Williams, Urban Ministries of Wake County
“Poverty is real in the Triangle, and it’s not just people that are not working or that are homeless. It’s working families. The cost of living continues to increase, but the wages are not increasing, so how do people, how do families, keep up with that?”
– Angela Coleman, StepUp Ministry
“I think a lot of times folks coming out of poverty forget that growth can sometimes be painful. Growth always feels good in their minds, but growth is hard. And mentors are a beautiful way to say, ‘Hey, it’s okay it didn’t go well. It’s gonna go well again, let’s keep trying.'”
– Lindsey Blankenhorn, Carroll’s Kitchen
