Even though we may not always be able to see it, the need in Lincoln is all around us. And it might be closer than you think—friends, neighbors, coworkers, even family members.

• 28,521 people in Lincoln live below the poverty line; 7,822 of them are children.
• 4,749 unduplicated persons in Lancaster County were homeless for some period of time from 2006 to 2008; 582 of them were under the age of 13.
• During the 2008–2009 school year, 12,861 Lincoln Public Schools students received free/reduced lunch. Of the 4th graders receiving free/reduced lunch, 23 percent could not read at grade level.
• The Lincoln Public Schools class of 2008 had a dropout rate of 12.3 percent, and the percentages were even higher for ethnic minorities.
• In 2007, 1,848 reports of abuse or neglect were investigated in Lancaster County.

It is vital that we join together to reach out to those in crisis and invest in our children’s success to form a stronger community and create lasting change.