UMP Poverty Awareness 2012

January is National Poverty Awareness Month. Twenty percent of our population in Bakersfield lives inpoverty. Compare that to only 13 percent of the population state-wide andnationally. The sad part is that statistic spikes dramatically in twodistinct areas of our city. If you look at the ten poorest neighborhoods inBakersfield, an average of 38 percent of families live below the povertylevel. And eight of those ten neighborhoods are all grouped togetherin east Bakersfield and Oildale. This is where we work, this is where the UMPfight against poverty begins.