Warren County is home to about 113,000 people, about 19 percent or 22,000 are living in poverty.

But who they are may surprise you, Rhondell Miller, Director of Hotel INC. says a lot of people are experiencing poverty for the first time in their lives, a lot of them have college degrees. A lot of them were down sized, not in anything that they've done or anything that was wrong but just in the economy today."

63-year-old Sharon Hearld has been living with her husband in Bowling Green since 1995.

She says with her and her husband's disabilities, she's often living off 600 dollars a month.

"We need the programs, very much to help the seniors, they're like my family," says Hearld.

The group of people near the top of the poverty list, are the elderly.

"I see a lot of widowed women who spent most of their lives being homemakers," says Miller, "which we honor greatly in this country, but they didn't pay into social security. Now they have to make decisions on food, medication, or utilities."

The Housing Authority of Bowling Green's elderly and disabled service helps about 300 people at a time.

Lori Richey is the elderly and disabled service coordinator at the Hospitality House, "it's really sad you know, we have so many residents who have families who have left them to fend for themselves and I just try to better their lives everyday."

"We have been really blessed to have this to keep us alive to keep up going, we're blessed to have Lori," says Hearld.

The average hourly wage in Warren County is about $9.65.

The average cost for a two bedroom apartment is $665.

"If they're making nine dollars an hour, they need to be working 71 to 74 hours a week to be able to afford that," says Miller.

With a poverty percentage of about 18.5 percent, that pushes Warren County slightly higher than the state average, 17.7 percent.

Miller has been with Hotel Inc. since March, she says the industry in Warren County offers flexible employment, but she thinks the main problem is transportation.

"They either do not have their own vehicle or they do not live or have access to the bus route or possibly the bus doesn't run during the times their employer would want them to come to work and then they're not able to have the job," says Miller.

More than 12,000 Warren County residents rely on food stamps, but those stamps don't include necessities like toilet paper or tooth brushes.

The Hospitality House holds bingo events where the prize is something players need desperately.

"Their 400-600 dollars doesn't last after bills and medication," says Richey, "and so the last few weeks of the month they're running out they're like Lori I need some toilet paper. So, I'm like okay come out and play Bingo. That also gets them out gets them together and they go home with something they need."

The Hospitality House and Hotel Inc. rely on community donations and help from organizations such as the United Way and local churches.

"Now we have no funding so I'm pretty much begging the community for any assistance," says Richey, who has been there for 15 years.

"I think that we need to realize, it is our neighbor first of all and it literally could be our neighbor living next door to us," says Miller.

Everyday is a struggle for Hearld and some of her neighbors.

But despite her struggles she feels blessed,

"We would be sitting looking at the four walls waiting for death, that's what wed be looking for so I'm thankful to god."