13.1% live below the poverty level.
The average income in Huron County is 16% lower than the rest of Michigan.
Michigan is the ONLY state with a population loss from the year 2000 to 2010 (which was only .6%). That being said, Huron County has lost 10.7% of its population in the last 10 years.
In December 2010, the United States unemployment rate was 9.1%.
….Michigan was 11.3%
….Huron County was 15.5%
about 5% of the young people in Huron County don't graduate high school.
11% of people above the age of 25 have a Bachelor's degree.
data collected from:
edis.commerce.state.nc.us/docs/countyProfile/MI/26063.pdf
In Huron County High School's (Bad Axe, Caseville, Harbor Beach, Lakers, Port Hope, North Huron, Ubly, and USA), approximately 2350 9th-12th graders are currently being educated.
As followers of Christ, its interesting to know these sorts of statistics.
Its interesting to know that our population has declined 10.7% in the last ten years.
Its interesting to know that our unemployment is at 15.5% compared to the national 9.1%.
Its interesting to know that the average income for a family in Huron County is 16% lower than the rest of the country.
Many of us talk about missions. Africa, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Mexico, Cuba, Haiti, and many other places around the world receive our checks to help benefit their health and wellbeing. Giving to missions often means writing a check and sending it to another place. Its easy to limit one's contribution by giving to people with no faces; people we've never known or never had relationships with. Sending a check to a place far away can become a way we personally avoid the same sorts of people Jesus actually spent time with.
But what about the people around us? What about the struggling families who can't make their heat bill this month? What about the junior high student who goes home to a freezing house; and hides it from his friends and teachers while pretending everything is alright at school? What will we do thats Christ-like to help them? What can we do? Wouldn't we rather send a check to a far off place rather than engage in the "messiness" of the world around us? Let us not lose touch with the creativity of love that God's Spirit gives us. Let us not become so focused about the inside of our "church" walls that we forget to take the good news of grace outside the "church" walls.
The Jesus I read in the Gospels believed in people. He gave people chances. He had hope for His creation and He wasn't afraid to enter "the messy." He showed people what love really looked like. Jesus saw something in people. He recognized the spark of the Divine that flashes and explodes creativity to life. He loved humanity so much he would do anything to give them back the Life they were created for. Jesus saw potential in a messy world. He saw a world worth rescuing, redeeming, and saving. No matter where people were in their life of chaos, Jesus saw something beautiful.
What about the people all around us?
How can we all pitch in to help our kids?
How can we partner with God and his renewing of creation?
What about the young people of Huron County?
How can we see the spark of the Divine in them?
