How storytelling can combat poverty among young people When it
comes to poverty in California, it boils down to some pretty
startling numbers: Last year, six million people in the state
were officially living below the poverty line, two million of
them children. And more than half of the state’s students
qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This data comes from
Kidsdata.org, a program of the Lucile Packard Foundation for
children’s health. Recently, Kidsdata co-hosted a community
forum with New America Media. It was called “Growing Up Poor in
the Bay Area,” and it featured video and photography by young
people about what it’s like to grow up poor. KALW’s Sara Bernard
attended the forum to hear what they had to say. SARA BERNARD:
Everyone knows that statistics can never tell the whole story
behind an issue like poverty. When people try to fill in the
blanks, usually experts and professionals are the first to speak
up. As more voices join in, they may be diverse in many ways,
but usually they are all adults