One in every six Ohioans and nearly a quarter of all Ohio
children — including almost a third of those under age 6 — lives
in poverty, according to a report released this week. In total,
more than 1.8 million Ohioans live in poverty, a number that has
increased tremendously in the last decade, the study reported.
Poverty increased by 57.7 percent in Ohio between 1999 and 2011,
a time during which the state’s population grew by just 1
percent. The federal poverty level for a family of four is an
annual household income of about $23,000. The annual report,
State of Poverty 2012, is from the Ohio Association of Community
Action Agencies, an organization representing Ohio’s 50
community action agencies, which run a number of programs for
low-income individuals. “The study confirmed everything that we
see every day ... more people needing more food more
frequently,” said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the
Ohio Association of Foodbanks. Ms. Hamler-Fugitt said Ohio is
still hampered by long-term unemploym