Number of people in poverty reaches highest level in 51 years

I read an article in USA TODAY about the poverty levels in the United States reaching the highest number its been in the last 51 years. The article states different statistics of the average incomes in the last few years and using information from the census, they 43.6 million people lived in poverty last year. I was taken by surprise when I read this article but I suppose I shouldn't have been, seeing as how we've been going through a recession but I honestly didn't know so many people were suffering in poverty. Despite the suffrage there was some news to be celebrated, some of the stimulus laws boosted income more than expected, providing extended unemployment benefits prevented more than 3 million people from falling into poverty. I think it's important for all of us as a community to realize the hardships people are going through, which is why I recommend this article.