Poverty
50% of Bronx households include young children living below the poverty line.
Youth Unemployment
More than 1 out of 3 youth, aged 16-24, are out of work or out of school.
Education
Nearly 1⁄3 of all adults never finished high school.
Adult Unemployment
Including homeless and “not in workforce,” close to 50% of all adults are unemployed in some areas of the South Bronx.
Health
1 in 4 AIDS deaths in NYC are in the Bronx. New infection rates are 3x the national average
The Bronx ranks #1 in NYC for new Hep C infections.
20% of children in the South Bronx have asthma, 5x the national average.
Bronx Residents are 5x to 8x more likely to die from diabetes than people in high-income NYC neighborhoods.
“I think Health People has probably taken peer education farther than any organization in the U.S., constantly demonstrating the ‘triple win’: Better health for the highest need community residents, a new community belief in the possibilities of health, and unexpected careers and satisfaction for people who never thought they would be health educators.”
“For as long as I can remember, Health People has led the field in peer health education and also has been a prominent voice in advocating for equitable health care policies for the South Bronx. Of course, I’m a bit biased. I’m not only a Health People Board member – I began my career as a Health People Peer.”