CHEATING/DISHONESTY: Does your student cheat on games, or "stretch" the truth? This tends to happen later in the school year when students feel more comfortable with us, and also can point to their insecurities. This short video from the Kids Hope national office might offer some insight and encouragement:

POVERTY in America

Someone once told me the difference between becoming homeless in a crisis and being able to recover is community. Some of us have access to more support and safety nets. That couldn't be more true as I continue to work with families on the margins here in Eagle Rock. I found this to be an insightful article on being poor in america: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/linda-tirado/why-poor-peoples-bad-decisions-make-perfect-sense_b_4326233.html

POVERTY STATS:

I've been researching information about Los Angeles for meetings where I am trying to get other churches to start their own Kids Hope programs, and I've been surprised by what I've found. Did you know that the poverty rate in CA is the highest in the nation- at 23.5% - according to the Census Bureau's Supplementary Poverty Measure, which incorporates CA's high cost of living and other variables (that 6.1 million Californians living in poverty). 

In overall numbers, more poor children live in CA than in any other state. More than 1 in 5 children in CA lives in poverty, nearly 1/2 live either in poverty or perilously close to it. Nearly 30% of all poor people in CA lived in Los Angeles County in 2011 (1.8 million people) by the Census' SPM measure. This is why we partner with Kids Church to ensure that all our Kids Hope kids have access to breakfast and lunch every day. This is why so many of our parents have to make tough decisions about buying shoes/clothes for their kids and paying rent. And we all know that poverty isn't just about economics, but there can also be a poverty soul and spirit...I am glad that you all are invested in the fight against different types of poverty and injustice through Kids Hope!