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""I was about to make grilled cheese for everybody with them, but it got kind of crazy," said a stunned Yonto, pointing to his small George Forman grill, not nearly big enough to handle the 100 grad students who came to help him make sandwiches for the homeless. He was expecting 30 at the most."

"On a national level, the poverty rate for the elderly (65 and older) is 9 percent using the traditional measure, and 16 percent using a supplemental measure (developed by the Census Bureau). If we were to apply the supplemental measure to poverty levels in Chicago, the rate would be above 20 percent."

"The program serves 3- and 4-year-olds who come from low-income families. Parents need to meet certain income guidelines to qualify. 'Most of our families are either working or going to school,' Pitz said."

"The project, which has delivered 9,500 bags of groceries to hundreds of low-income seniors during the past six years, does more than teach kids about giving and sharing and the socioeconomic inequities among that 99 percent of us. It is designed to introduce children of affluence to people who are struggling."

"The University of South Florida student and the homeless Haitian immigrant sat on opposite sides of the desk, working together on a geometry problem."

"When Carol Neckermann Ballard decided to become a teacher, she wanted to work with students in high-poverty schools."

"It's getting more difficult for low-income students to climb the economic ladder as the college graduation gap between the rich and poor grows. While more students from all backgrounds are finishing college, the difference in graduation rates between the top and bottom income groups has widened over two decades."

"More than 60 percent of students in Hall and Gainesville schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunches."

"His smile was ever-present. His energy matched the campus's. He talked about eventually pursuing a communications major. He could be any other incoming freshman. Except Mr. Joseph, 21, was homeless. He was also in CUNY Start, a preparatory program for college-bound G.E.D. recipients."

"The Urban League of Rochester Economic Development Corp. has been awarded $2.85 million by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer announced last week."

"There's no doubt in my mind this couple belonged to the homeless population that 17-year-old Forestview High School senior Megan Brunnemer is so concerned about.She's a pretty remarkable person. Recently, Megan came up with a project to raise awareness about the plight of the homeless and to raise money for the cause."

"These Americans form a down-but-not-quite-out group -- sometimes called "near poor" and sometimes simply overlooked -- and a new count suggests they are far more numerous than previously understood."