Christine Scheetz, the president and CEO of the United Way of Johnson County, gave an update regarding the organization’s Community Needs Assessment at Wednesday’s joint meeting between local government boards .

The 2010 assessment showed that 3,100 children and 580 seniors in Johnson County are living in poverty, an increase over previous years.

The United Way’s plan is to stop this growing poverty by targeting three key issues: education, income, and health, Scheetz said.

“It’s disturbing to see the number of children living in poverty,” said Iowa City City Councilor Mike Wright.

The United Way assessment was a relevant issue for the meeting because it is countywide, said Johnson County Supervisor Sally Stutsman.

“This affects the very being of this community,” she said.

— by Emily Hoerner