Desiree Metcalf's story is heartbreaking, but among the 46 million Americans who are poor today, her story is not unique.
Metcalf is 24 years old.
She's the mother of three little girls — ages 6, 4 and 2. They all have different fathers.
"That about sums me up, I think," she says.
Metcalf is sitting on the floor of her two-bedroom apartment in the small town of Bath, in western New York. A fish tank gurgles in the background. A tiny kitten peeks out from under the furniture.