More N.M. Children Living In Poverty

Spotting a child living in poverty isn't easy and the number of children having to deal with it in New Mexico is growing.

It could be your child's friend, a classmate or the next door neighbor.

Sherry Hooper, the executive director of The Food Depot, helps bring food to the poor.

She said children are a big part of her clientele.

"We find that shocking, always, but that's something that's been consistent for several years," Hooper said.

New numbers released from the Census Bureau point out what food bank volunteers already know.

Nearly one out of four children in New Mexico, or 24 percent, lives in poverty.

"We find that people are shocked about how close hunger is to them," Hooper said.

Advocates said the image of poverty for many New Mexicans is the pan handler on the street.

With the new statistics, they said that perception could use a little changing.

"We find that most of the children we serve are in working families," Hooper said.

The state says rural areas and places with minorities usually rank high in poverty.

Since much of the state fits that description, New Mexico ranks among the worst in the country when it comes to the number of children living in poverty.

"It's not acceptable that the state is doing that badly," Deputy Secretary for the Human Services Department Katie Falls said. "Governor Richardson has formed a task force to look at ways to reduce poverty in the state."

That task force is expected to deliver both long term and short term solutions to the governor next week.

It's a delivery that can't come soon enough for many.