Friday, September 16, 2011

Did You Know . . . ?

It’s hard to believe that poverty and homelessness exist in a place like DuPage County. But they do exist, right here in our own backyard. In fact, did you know that…

  • The average age of a homeless person in DuPage County is 8 years old? Of the 53,240 DuPage County residents living in poverty, over 60% are children.
  • DuPage County had 59,459 people with incomes below the Federal Poverty Level? This is an increase of 14% in just one year.
  • One of every 20 people in DuPage County lives in poverty?
  • One person making minimum wage ($8.25 per hour) in DuPage County would have to work 2 ½ full-time jobs to be able to afford a rental unit at fair market rates?
  • 150,000 DuPage County residents qualify as working poor?
  • 1 in 3 homeless people are U.S. veterans?
  • During the 2009-2010 school year, 792 homeless students were identified and educated in DuPage County schools, a 10% increase from the previous year?
  • Families make up 40% of the country’s homeless?
  • It costs $25 to provide one day of housing and service per person in the Bridge Communities program?
  • There are more than 1,700 people now living self-sufficiently after completing Bridge Communities’ two-year Transitional Housing Program?
  • Most importantly, did you know that you can make a change in the lives of homeless families in DuPage County?

Join us as we sleep out on Saturday, November 5 to raise awareness, raise funds, and raise hope for homeless families in Bridge Communities’ Transitional Housing Program. Sleep Out Saturday is an eye-opening, life-changing event you don’t want to miss. Sleep Out Saturday – make a change!

To learn more or get involved, visit the Sleep Out Saturday web site or contact Jennie Gates at (630) 545-0610, ext. 19 or jennie.gates@bridgecommunities.org.

These materials were made available under license from Bridge Communities Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Sources: Heartland Alliance; Illinois Poverty Summit; HUD; Bridge Communities Program statistics; DuPage County Homeless Continuum of Care; 2010 American Community Services Survey; DuPage Federation on Human Services.

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