GENESEE COUNTY (DTV) – (6/4/2025) – In the United States over 11% of people are living in poverty. Here in Genesee County, that number for just children living in poverty more than doubles to 25% However, trying to identify it can be a challenge.
“Poverty does not look the same for everybody. So it’s important to know that, some common signs of a child being in poverty could be some different clothing issues or lack of hygiene because they’re not able to necessarily do those things.” said Carrie Chanter.
Carrie Chanter fights poverty every day. She works for Genesee Health System, which is a service that provides resources for families in Genesee county. Poverty can take on many forms, and for many kids, school may not be their first priority.
“If you are living in poverty every day, waking up to an alarm, getting to school with reliable transportation is not always the first need.” , said Chanter. “And they usually have to deal with a lot of other life issues that come with poverty. A lot of other things that they have to worry about that kids that aren’t in poverty don’t have to worry about”
For children, poverty can follow them through their adult life. The depression, anxiety, and shame that come with childhood poverty can create long lasting trauma that is hard to recover from.
“ A child living in poverty is less likely to finish school, is less likely to go on to any sort of skilled trade or college, and that could potentially lead to poverty in the future,” said Chanter.
Along with services like the Genesee Health System offers, schools are another major resource for food and clothing. All students in Michigan public schools receive free breakfast and lunch.
Davison High School has the Cardinal Closet available for students. Many clothing items from the closet are on display outside of the main office that all students are allowed to take or contribute to at all times.
“It’s not just the stuff out here. You can also come down to the room and pick out anything that’s in there. We also have food too.” said DHS student Ainsley Dockery.
“The counselors are in here pretty frequently. If they’re not talking to their counselor, or they don’t have a relationship with them, they can reach out to one of their teachers and their teachers can reach out to the counselors.” said DHS Teacher Brett Coron. “I think just knowing that we’re doing some good for students and families in our community that may be struggling.”
“It’s okay to have a friend that doesn’t maybe have the money you do, but you’re also assisting in helping connect and provide” said Chanter.
Students and staff are encouraged to donate gently used clothing, shoes, and non-perishable food items to the Cardinal Closet located at Davison High School. You can make a difference one donation at a time.
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