Some more bad news for New Yorkers as the state's Community Action Association releases its latest poverty report. We have the 17th highest poverty rate in the nation and the highest in the Northeast. Our Erin Connolly has more on the numbers and how one man is trying to make a difference.

ALBANY, N.Y. – There are staggering statistics in this report that show New Yorkers are struggling. A total of 2.6 million are living in poverty and 852,000 of them are children. Even more alarming, the data is from 2006 to 2008, prior to the current economic downturn.

Denise Harlow of the New York State Community Action Association said, ''It should be a wakeup call for the public that even before the recession hit these numbers are astonishingly high.''

The report shows almost 14 percent of New Yorkers live in poverty. So how is poverty defined? Well, it's a family of four making less than $22,000. Fifty percent of those families are headed by single women and children. Many are African American or Hispanic. Add in a tough economy and that means tough times for many.

Harlow said, ''The layoffs aren't blue collar. They're across the board. So we're seeing people who have never needed help in their lives have to navigate a system that is incredibly complex.''

Here's a look at the local numbers. In Albany, almost 21,000 people are in poverty. That number is much lower in Saratoga Springs at around 2,000. Schenectady has a near 12,000 folks in poverty. Troy, about 9,500.

Pastor Charlie Muller of Victory Christian Church said, ''The statistics that just came out. We got to take a good look at it and go wow we've got some pretty high stats in Albany what are we doing about it?''

What Pastor Charlie is doing about it is helping feed children in need. About 20 percent of children live in poverty in this state. In Albany, that number is at almost 36 percent, one of the highest in New York.

Muller said, ''What they do in life speaks for what they eat in life. You are what you eat.''

And Muller provides a full dinner to about 40 to 80 kids in Albany each and every day through his JC Club Feeding Center. Now he's opening a new center to be able to feed even more kids as he's trying to create a big impact on an unfortunately a big population.

Muller said, ''I think we can really make a difference with hunger for the children. We really can.''