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LIVING WITH HUNGER: Thirty percent of food bank recipients have had
to choose between buying food or paying for medical care or medicine.
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33.6 million Americans experienced food insecurity in 2001, meaning that they have inadequate access to nutritious food to meet basic needs. This represents an increase of more than .5% since 1999 (USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion).
4.2 million American families experience hunger every month - they routinely run out of food before they have money to buy more. Family members often skip meals or go without eating for a whole day to stretch food resources. 17.6% of these families have children under the age of 18. (USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion)
13.6 million low-income children under the age of 12 are hungry or at-risk of hunger in this country. This is 29% of all children in that age group in the United States. (Food Research and Action Center: Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project)
70% of hungry and at-risk families have at least one member working - 57% have one member working full time. (Food Research and Action Center: Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project)
Nearly half (45%) of food bank recipients have had to choose between buying food or paying for utiities or heat. More than one third have had to choose between buying food or paying for housing. And 30 percent have had to choose between buying food or paying for medical care or medicine (Americ's Second Harvest's 2001 Nat'l. Hunger Survey) .
Hunger affects health and learning in children. Hungry children are more susceptible to fatigue, anemia, frequent colds, and ear and other infections. They are twice as likely to be absent from school and four times as likely to experience difficulty concentrating than their peers who are not suffering from hunger. (Food Research and Action Center: Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project )
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Seashare • 600 Erickson Avenue NE, Suite 310 • Bainbridge Island, WA 98100 • 206.842.3609
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