ITHACA, N.Y. -- At the kickoff for the Cornell United Way Campaign in October, James Brown, Tompkins County United Way president, spoke of an "invisible need" in the Ithaca area. More than 6,000 county residents -- about 9 percent -- are living below the poverty line, based on numbers provided by the county planning department. That includes 2,000 children -- about 11.5 percent. Even the most conservative estimates indicate that up to 25 percent of county residents, excluding college students, have incomes well below the federal poverty level. That means many of our neighbors aren't getting adequate food and medical care.

The need may be invisible, but it is very real.

One tool for exposing this hidden problem is the Compass II report on Hunger and Food Insecurity in Tompkins County. Developed by the United Way of America, Compass II is a way to identify and quantify community strengths in order to better assist this underserved population. The report includes hard figures, tables and statements based on a survey of 260 local residents who use food pantries, soup kitchens and other aid stations. These figures help to explain why 15,000 pounds of food delivered to an area distribution point disappears in less than a day. And why tons of donated food lasts but a few weeks.

And why you should consider making a pledge to the United Way.

One parent told the Compass II survey: "The price of food is high. I have four growing children. It's hard sometimes to make the food stretch until I get food stamps every month. I don't run out of everything, but it's hard to afford fruits and vegetables all month long. That's what normally runs out first."

Another parent stated: "I often let my children eat first. Whatever is left over, if anything … then I will eat."

Suddenly, a profile of the "invisible need" in our county emerges.

Other risk groups include the elderly. About 5.4 percent of the county's elderly (age 65 or over) are below the poverty line. That's about half of the national rate. So we're doing okay, right? Well, look closer. Nearly 32 percent of the county's elderly have per capita household earnings of less than $20,000 a year and 42 percent less than $25,000. One elderly couple responding to the Compass II survey said that their "main problem is we are not able to buy groceries and pay for medication, too."

Then there are the working poor. These are families and individuals who work but are ineligible for many social services, even though they do not earn enough to provide adequate food for their families. Approximately 27 percent of households in the county fall into this category -- about 10,000 people. Families with children are hit the hardest. One survey respondent in the working poor category said, "I just need help getting on my feet, and it seems almost impossible."

Other risk groups include the disabled and mentally ill, and homeless or independent youth. As their stories emerge in a matrix of charts and figures and firsthand statements, the hidden need in Tompkins County is exposed and we start to get the message of how we can help: Just one dollar per Cornell pay period can provide lunch for 40 hungry people for one day. Think of it.

For more information about the Compass II report, visit the Tompkins County United Way Web site at http://www.uwtc.org or Cornell's United Way Web site where you also can donate online: http://www.unitedway.sas.cornell.edu/.