Are you living in poverty?

Life on the edge of the economy

The Census Bureau's new numbers show 1 in 7 people are living in poverty, the highest rate since 1994. Children under 18 are worse off, with 1 in 5 children living in poverty.
For an upcoming story, the Observer is looking for those familiar with the new faces of poverty. Perhaps you work at a social service agency that has seen a big growth in demand. Or perhaps you are one of the people who lost a job, had some bad luck and now find yourself unable to make ends meet. Please take a minute to fill out this form so that a reporter can possibly contact you.

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Tell us your involvement with people in poverty. For example, if you work at a social service agency indicate that. Or, if you are struggling to make ends meet, say that. Or, if you deal with another aspect of poverty, say that. Be as specific as possible.

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For those who are poverty experts working at social service or government agencies, tell us what trends you have seen in the past year. Please be as specific as possible. If this doesn't apply to you, skip this question.

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If you are living in poverty, tell us what you would like others to know about your life? What are your struggles? What do you expect to happen in the future? How can people help?

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If you have an original mugshot photo of yourself that we could use in the paper or online, please upload it here. (No larger than 1MB, please!)

Thanks for helping us report this story. We may contact you about other stories from time to time. Questions? E-mail Cindy Montgomery at cmontgomery@charlotteobserver.com

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