The New Social Worker Vol. 20, No. 1, Winter 2013 | Page 14

Challenge House Retreats: Building Resilience in At-Risk Youths
by Mary Fran Davis, LCSW, Sherry S. Cruise, B.S., and Nancy Bandel, B.S.

H

opkinsville, Kentucky, is located
in rural Christian County. According to census data, Hopkinsville has a population of 29,100 (2009).
About 26.4% of the population is under
the age of 18. The unemployment rate in
July 2011 was 11.2%, coupled with a poverty rate of 17.3% (http://www.infoplease.
com/us/census/data/kentucky/hopkinsville/demographic.html).

Hopkinsville city data indicate that
the percentage of Hopkinsville residents
age 25 or older who have a high school
education is 76%, whereas those with
bachelor’s degrees is 16%. Of the families
with female householders with children
under 18 years old, 42.1% fall below the
poverty level. Many of these families live
within the six inner-city neighborhoods
of Hopkinsville (http://www.city-data.
com/city/Hopkinsville-Kentucky.html).

Within the city of Hopkinsville is a
unique social service pro