Hunger Lives Here

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Update:  This article was written some time ago.  Now, there are over 14 Million people who are out of work.  The figures are actually higher when you start talking about the "underemployed."  I won't comment on the "promises" made by our government to improve the situation in 2008 and what did NOT happen, but I will say this.... "It takes man helping man, individually, to sustain a viable society.  When you leave it to the government alone, everyone loses."  Please read this article carefully and give as much as you are able.  If you don't have money, give your time.  It's ALL priceless and you may just save a life.

While we spend billions of dollars shipping food to other countries, a growing number of American families are going without food daily.  America's unemployed reached a record 8,924,000 for 2008! Here's one way you can help.

Hunger Lives HERE

When most people think of “the hungry,” they tend to think of those in poor, third-world countries. Or the homeless. Or poor people that live “somewhere else.”

In reality, millions of Americans are going hungry in every community in the country. Families are living one catastrophe — such as the loss of a job, a car repair or a family illness — away from hunger.

Marci is a single mom living in Iowa with a nine-year-old daughter. Marci had been a manager at McDonalds for 13 years before switching jobs to be a caterer at five John Deere cafeterias. She works long hours at her job, takes care of her daughter and volunteers as the president of a neighborhood association. You might not think she would have to deal with hunger.

But because her job change resulted in a pay cut, Marci now needs assistance from the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. “Considering the rising cost of food,” Marci said, “the food bank has been such a great help. I now have food to make my daughter lunches to take with her to school.”

The woman waiting on you in a store, the man cutting your lawn, the elderly neighbor woman on a fixed income, the boy who sits next to your child in school. These people could be part of the estimated 35 million Americans that are what is known as food insecure. They may not talk about their hunger problems, but for any of them, their reality means:

—Not knowing where or when their next meal will come from

—Only getting one meal a day because it’s hard to make ends meet

—Not having anything to eat for a whole day, or several days at a time

—Feeding their children instead of themselves

Soaring food and gas prices, lost jobs and stagnant wages mean that the number of people needing food assistance is rising. Feeding America, formerly known as America’s Second Harvest, is a national non-profit organization and the nation’s largest food bank network. Vicki Escarra, president and CEO, says that demand in their food banks has risen 15 to 20 percent since 2007. “We’re seeing more and more people visiting food banks for the first time,” she said. “Many people are living paycheck to paycheck. In big sections of the country industries that had provided good wages are gone and there aren’t enough good paying jobs left. So people need help.”

Who are the hungry?

Children. More than 12 million children live in food insecure homes. Research has shown that children are particularly vulnerable to the effects of food insecurity because even mild undernutrition can have adverse impacts on behavior, school performance, and cognitive development. Food programs feed over 18 million children each year.

Seniors. Feeding America serves nearly three million seniors over age 65 each year.

Working families. The latest government data (for 2006) shows that 10.9 percent of households are food insecure.

An April 2008 Gallup poll found that for one in 10 Americans who make between $30,000 and $74,999 a year, rising food prices were causing severe hardship that affected their ability to maintain their current standard of living. For those earning less than $30,000 a year, that number jumps to 19 percent.

Food Banks

Local food banks have been a reliable helping hand for millions of people each year, but they are feeling the economic pinch as well. While donations are stable on the national scale, some areas are struggling a lot more than others.

In a recent survey, Feeding America found that more than 80 percent of its food banks reported they could not meet the increased demand without trimming operations or reducing the amount of food they provide.

This special feature provided by Family Features

All materials courtesy of: Feeding America