Josh Riley (Senior, featured on the left)
I consider myself a numbers guy. When talking and logic fail, I find myself relying on numbers to sway arguments and help make decisions. Whether you struggled through high school algebra or excelled in college calculus, numbers carry a weight in our society that cannot be ignored. The amount of wealth, likes, favorites, and friends. Numbers quantify and assess both our present situation and our future.
Pennsylvania:
507,628 (19%) – Number of children living in poverty
Number of children waiting for adoption: 1,896
Percentage of students that drop out of high school – 1.67 % (>13,000 per year)
81,096 – Number of children with incarcerated parents
US:
Children waiting for adoption: 107,918
Children in foster care- >400,000
1 in 1000 Americans are currently in foster care
13 million – Number of children underfed and malnourished
World:
1 in every 2.2 – children that live in poverty
385 million– Number of children that live in extreme poverty
Number of girls not currently receiving education – 130 million
Number of children without possible access to any form of education – 59 million
These numbers are all readily available for your own personal research via a quick Google search. As the statistics in this blog paint a mere fraction of the overall picture of poverty at the state, national, and global levels, I encourage you to look deeply into the numbers. Remember what every single unit of each number means for someone’s life.
Numbers give the real truth, uncorrupted by words, thoughts, and opinions. The power of numbers can enlighten us, and remind us of our purpose.