Where We Work

Appalachia

• Central Appalachia consists of the states of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. The Appalachian Mountains have been defined by poverty, poor health, inadequate housing and substandard education. While the physical characteristics of the land are ruggedly beautiful, the children in these rural areas have consistently experienced a higher degree of poverty. They also suffer from greater levels of economic and social problems than the rest of the country. 
  
  
• Poverty rates in the Appalachian rural areas are ongoing and are often 30 to 45 percent above the national rates.
  
  
• 27 percent of Appalachian children do not have high school degrees compared to 20 percent from other states in the nation.
  
  
• High school drop-out rates among Appalachian youth are more than 40 percent of the national average.
  
  
• The median household income among rural Appalachians is only 56 percent of the national median. The unemployment rate is nearly double the national unemployment rate.
  
  
• Mobile homes are the normal housing in these rural areas. Thousands of children live in homes with no running water, indoor plumbing or insulation. They live in homes with crumbling foundations, sagging roofs and unsafe wiring.