WASHINGTON (RNS) More than one in seven American households found it hard to put enough food on the table last year, according to figures released Monday (Nov. 16) by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
“The recession has made the problem of hunger worse, and it has also made it more visible,” said David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, a Christian anti-hunger group. “Increased public awareness and the administration’s commitment gives me hope.”
Households experiencing “food insecurity” jumped 3.5 percent in 2008, to 14.6 million, the largest one-year increase since the USDA began publishing data in 1995.
SNAP, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program provided by the USDA for low-income families, distributed benefits to more than 36 million people in August 2009, a 24 percent increase over the previous year.
Half of the people receiving SNAP assistance were children.
According to the USDA, 4.3 million more children were food insecure in 2008 than in 2007, bringing the number to 16.7 million. In many cases, children are protected from a change in their eating patterns, but both children and adults across 506,000 households experienced times of very low food security last year.
“Child hunger is not just a casualty of the recession. It was a problem before the recession, and unless we take the necessary steps, kids will continue to suffer after the economy recovers,” said Beckmann.
By Angela Abbamonte
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted November 17, 2009 at 9:53 pm
The mess the Bush administration and its Republican allies goes on and on. But having said that it’s the Obama administration and its Democrat allies who need to step up and be sure all Americans have food and medical care.
posted November 17, 2009 at 10:00 pm
Everytime we do a collection, if it is not for a special designation, we collect food or money for the local pantry. The need is huge, but can by box, we do what we can.
posted November 17, 2009 at 10:04 pm
The mess they left.
posted November 18, 2009 at 9:51 am
Everyone should have food, medical care, and shelther. It’s pathetic that you can go to Manhattan where the per capita income is aver 100,000 but there is not a bed for every head there. Pa-the-tic.
posted November 18, 2009 at 6:54 pm
It is a totally sad situation when this country is not able to feed those in need. As you say, confessoressa, everyone should have food, medical care and shelter.
posted November 19, 2009 at 11:59 pm
I have been so busy working 7 days a week feeding people in need, so many new cases that we are financially strained but God has been a faithful supplier. We have met the needs of thousands of hungry Americans. The past few months have been rough but I have seen more compassion in these rough months than I have in a long time.
posted November 20, 2009 at 10:54 am
Cknuck, why do you feel the need to share your acts of charity with us?
Also, pa-the-tic.
Do you want me to write to Santa and tell him you’ve been a good boy all week?
posted November 20, 2009 at 2:07 pm
confess are you mad because you don’t have anything to say in that area? Keep your venom to yourself that’s what pathetic.
posted November 23, 2009 at 10:43 am
Calling you out is venom? Presumptions are tricky, cknuck, and I would stay away from them if I believed in a God that didn’t like bearing false witness.
posted November 23, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Take your meds confess than make sense
posted December 4, 2009 at 8:11 am
My comment makes perfect sense. Just because you have poor reading comprehension doesn’t mean that I’ve made errors in my post. And personal attacks really don’t impress me. Try again.