Starting the Conversation About Hunger in America
February 16, 2010
Starting the Conversation About Hunger in America
When you look across the web, you’ll find that there’s very little information or dialogue about hunger in the United States. We at Feeding America are setting out to remedy that with this new blog, where our team of contributors will share news and perspectives on one of our nation’s most significant yet solvable issues.
The numbers
The latest data from the United States Department of Agriculture shows that nearly 49 million Americans experience “food insecurity” each year – that is, they’re not sure where they’ll find their next meal. That staggering number includes nearly 17 million children.
We talk all the time to people who are shocked or in completely disbelief that these numbers could be accurate. After all, the United States is a nation of abundance, obesity rates are high, and our federal feeding programs are relatively strong. But it’s all of these things that mask the magnitude of the problem.
How we work
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks, which in turn support 61,000 charitable feeding agencies in every community across the country. We provide food to 37 million people each year. Our goal is simple: provide enough food to the nation’s charitable feeding system so that any person in our country who wants a meal can have one.
Ours is a nation of abundance, and it’s into that power that our network taps. We draw on the generosity of the nation’s food manufacturers and retailers to acquire safe and healthy food that would otherwise go to waste. Complemented by financial support from the general public, we’re able to acquire and distribute more than 3 billion pounds of food each year.
Hunger can be invisible
Most everyone is familiar with the tragic images of hunger and starvation in other parts of the world, and we salute our peer nonprofit organizations that are rising to meet that need. But because hunger in America looks different—it’s hidden in the worries of a single mother who is worried about how she will find food for her family tonight, in the heart-rending choice a senior citizen has to make between paying for food or medical care, and in the eyes of a child who doesn’t understand why her father skips dinner every night so that she and her siblings can eat.
Starting the Conversation
Ours is a solvable problem. Here on the Feeding America blog, staff members from the national office and other guest contributors will shed light on the plight of Americans in need and the numerous factors that both contribute to and remedy domestic hunger. In doing so, we’re hoping to start a new conversation—online and offline—about how we can help our neighbors in need.
We’re always interested in your thoughts – send an email to blog@feedingamerica.org to let us know what you think about hunger in America, Feeding America, reactions to this blog, or suggestions for future items we should cover.
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Comments
I’m very excited about this blog! I work at a small food pantry and community center outside of New Orleans and I started a blog for us to talk about hunger issues late last year. http://ffon.tumblr.com/
I’d love to hear yalls thoughts on food bank budget cuts due to the economy or government, and I’d love to see anything innovative other food pantries or Soup Kitchens are doing that we could implement here at our pantry in Louisiana.
Thanks! and expect many reblogs from me!
Posted by Billy | February 25, 2010 at 11:58 AM
I’m one of the poor people that goes to a food pantry. I think they should give
out laundry detergent, dish washing detergent & other cleaning supplies.
We don’t have much money left after we buy these things, & you can’t buy them
with food stamps either. We have to have garbage bags & vacume cleaner bags too.
Maybe the food pantries could solicit these things or gift cards to buy them.
I’m so grateful for all the food & bread. We hardly ever get fruit or pie filling or
snacks. If we have to buy all this they we can’t go to a store & buy clothes or
go out to eat.
This hurts the economy also. Up north where our friends live food pantries are
we and far between. They can’t get free clothes, heat assistance, rent assistance
or low cost loans. The poor get poorer & the rich get richer.
If I wasn’t bipolar I’d probably still be working. Without mads I cry all the time.
With meds I can’t count, figure out money, & I sleep a lot. Even with meds my
legs swell & hurt so bad. I have a lot of sugeries that need to be done also. I
can’t get the doctors at the VA to do them. I’ve been borderline diabetic for about
35 years & I finally got a glucose meter. Now I have diabetes & they still only
allow me to test twice a week.
Thanks for reading this. I have to go to the food pantry, good-bye. Debbie
Posted by debbie | February 25, 2010 at 12:07 PM
I searched for something completely different, but found your ! And have to say thanks. Nice read. .
Posted by single parent welfare | April 26, 2010 at 8:39 PM
My name is Carolyn and i am also a single Parent of 6 children and i do go to the food pantry here in Lonoke Arkansas and it is very hard for our resource center to get grants for there pantry i am trying to find a way to give back to the pantry for all they have done for my family and many other families like mine. If anyone has any ideas on how to raise money for them or even to ask companies Like snickers , Proctor and Gamble and other companies of such nature that could really be an asset to our community of many unemployed or laied off workers like my self Please reply to this i would greatly appriciate it thanks
Posted by Carolyn | August 4, 2010 at 11:00 AM
really appreciate you ,thanks a lot!
Posted by athletic shoes | August 27, 2010 at 4:41 PM
I am in a small community in Rockport, TX. We have a weekly community dinner table that is supported by a non profit resale shop. When you shop or give to the resale shop they ask you which church you want to support with your donation. When the item is priced and sold they add a code to it and each item sold with the code to each of the churches in the community it adds up little by little. Each Tuesday is community dinner and everyone in the community is welcome to come. It doesn’t matter who it is, and yes they can be the richest of the rich. I like it because it allows the rich to see how the poor are unable to support themselves without a small bump up in the community. It also brings people who have never met together and for a specific cause. I think all communities should have something like this to support a dinner out at least once per week. I am starting my own food drive for our community.
Posted by Rockporter | September 3, 2010 at 11:42 PM
I live in Riverton Wyoming… we are trying to start a full food bank but are having trouble finding a building.. When we did find one they are not sure they want to help If Anyone could put presure on Wyoming Jaycees ask them to donate the buidling we know we could help hundreds of families in our town… If yo wish to help us you can reach us at rivertonfoodbank@yahoo.com Since we are brand new we can use all the help we can get…
Thank you RivertonCommunity Food Bank Riverton Wyoming
307-463-0141
rivertonfoodbank@yahoo.com
Posted by Nancy Eckstein | November 4, 2011 at 5:29 PM