A recent study confirmed that one in eight children now live below the poverty line in Waterloo Region.
For a child, the poverty line is rarely drawn as clearly as it is on the first day of school each September. Teachers offer a heart-breaking perspective into the visible effects of poverty. Many tell us that they have brought socks, warm sweaters and even underwear to help the neediest children. Far from being excited about the first day of school, these children can begin the year with a disheartening disadvantage -- and they suffer both socially and academically.