Oregon's unseen poor The light turns red and you stop eye-to-eye with a middle- aged woman holding a handwritten sign that says, "I'm hungry. Please help me." complete story Remarriage and training help single mom escape poverty "My husband was a Vietnam vet," says Sharon Thornberry of Philomath, Ore., explaining how she and her two children ended up homeless in Texas 20 years ago. complete story Homelessness in Oregon, life on the streets I am a 49-year-old father of three, Vietnam-era U.S. Navy veteran. Raised in a large, old-fashioned extended family in the deep South, I was brought up with a strong work ethic. complete story Workshop simulates what it's like to be poor A person can't know what it's like to experience genuine poverty until he or she has. complete story Official government poverty line shows signs of old age Poverty is generally defined in terms of income needed to meet basic needs for food, housing, clothing and transportation. complete story 1999 federal poverty guidelines Chart image showing 1999 federal poverty guidelines