That breaks down to 39 percent of all adults and 55 percent of all children, the group found.”This is a wake-up call for Congress, for our state policy-makers, really for all of us,” said Donna Addkison, President and CEO of WOW.

“Nearly half of our nation’s families cannot cover the costs of basic expenses even when they do have a job. Under these conditions, cuts to unemployment insurance … and other programs families are relying on right now would push them from crisis to catastrophe.”

{ 1/2 of AMERICANS do NOT have enough $ to cover housing, food, healthcare, and basic expenses November 2011}
according to a survey of government and industry data.
The survey, released on Tuesday by the advocacy group Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), found that 45 percent of U.S. residents live in households that struggle to make ends meet.{Eaxample}
For example, in a budget for a family of one worker, it put housing expenses at $688 and food at $244. In a family of two workers with two young children, it assumed housing would cost $821 per month and food $707 a month.
It did not include nonessentials such as vacations, recreation, hobbies, college tuition, and other common expenses of the middle class.Courtesy of Reuters
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/22/usa-economy-insecurity-idUSN1E7AL15720111122

{Countries Positions Only 2 countries with 20% of children living in poverty } May 2012 Statistics
The top five positions in the league table are occupied by Iceland, Finland, Cyprus, the Netherlands and Norway (with Slovenia and Denmark close behind). All of these countries have relative child poverty rates below 7%. Another eight countries including two of the largest — Germany and France– have rates between 7% and 10%. A third group, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, post rates of between 10% and 15%. A further six, including populous Italy and Spain, show rates of between 15% and 20%. In only two countries are more than 20% of children living in relative poverty — Romania and the United States.

{Welfare Reduction in Food Stamps}
May 2012:The Great Recession has, of course, exacerbated child poverty. According to a recent report, 8.3 million children in the U.S. have been affected by the foreclosure crisis that arose after the housing bubble burst.
However, the social safety net has helped alleviate some of this suffering. For instance, food stamps reduced the number of children living in extreme poverty by half last year.

Courtesy of Think Porgress http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2012/05/29/491443/un-report-child-poverty/

Be the change it starts in you community 
People are making a huge statement in Madison with offering people the ability to do Random Acts of Kindness in a Pay it Forward style Venue for the homeless