Northwest Connecticut Hit Hard by Economic Slowdown

WATERBURY, CT - MARCH 26: People line up outside of a food pantry March 26, 2009 in Waterbury, Connecticut. Waterbury, a small working class city situated in one of the wealthiest sates in the country, has a poverty rate of approximately 16%, compared to 7.9% in the rest of the state. In 2008 the Connecticut Food Bank distributed more than 16 million pounds of food to food-assistance programs throughout the state, a 4.8% increase over 2007. The number of clients at food pantries and soup kitchens in Waterbury has nearly doubled as the economy in America has continued to contract and shed jobs. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)