I hope Mr. Hart's Sunday editorial about growing poverty in Orange County will prompt community leaders to do something about it. The rising number of food stamp and school lunch applicants (CHN Oct. 6) are clear signs that poverty is real, hurtful and is disabling citizen hopes and resources.

However, the local media's coverage of this disturbing fact only scratches the surface. The Inter-Faith Council has always been about reducing poverty and hunger in our midst, but eliminating poverty must be seen as the entire community's responsibility. Unfortunately, very little has changed and disturbing numbers about the poor among us continue to rise and frighten.

What has not been mentioned is that 3,001 Carrboro and Chapel Hill households now depend on IFC's food pantry (23 percent more households than last year) since local jobs and safety net resources are disappearing. Additionally, we are serving homeless residents for longer periods of time because businesses are hurting and new jobs are nonexistent.

Poor people won't see any changes unless there is a long-term commitment of resources from our governments and institutions. There is too much silence and very little media coverage about the state of poverty here in Orange County. State and federal programs that once were viable for combating poverty have ended; and community households now depend on local nonprofits and faith groups for assistance.

The shocking fact that Orange County, particularly Chapel Hill, is "poorer than most of North Carolina" has always been true. Our founders knew this was true and it has been reported once again that poverty numbers are growing. We should all be disturbed that poverty now represent one in five of us. We wonder when ridding ourselves of local poverty will become a community undertaking that will provide real change for our neighbors.

Chris Moran

Executive director

Inter-Faith Council for Social Service