One In Ten Americans Face Hunger

America's Second Harvest
Thursday, 14 March 2002

USDA Study affirms America's Second Harvest's reports of increased demand for emergency food assistance

More than 33 million people in the United States - including nearly 13 million children - lived in households deemed "food insecure," or hungry or at risk of hunger in 2000, according to a just released report from the United States Department Agriculture (USDA).

"According to this report, there were as many people at risk of hunger as live in the State of California," said Robert Forney, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest.

In a similar report issued in September 2000, the number of food insecure people was near 31 million. The USDA report, "Household Food Security in the United States, 2000," estimates that slightly more than 12 percent of the U.S. population lives in food insecure households with varying degrees of hunger risk.

The USDA report shows that food insecurity and hunger increased by two million over the previous year and the prevalence of food insecurity and hunger was unprecedented during a period of historic economic growth and low unemployment.

"The report shows that more than one-in-ten Americans were hungry or at risk of hunger in 2000, during a period of historic economic growth, " Forney noted. "The recent economic downturn has increased the problems facing American families. Nearly 80 percent of our food banks have seen an increase in the number of people requesting help since the USDA 2000 study. We are certain that a substantially higher number of people are food insecure today," according to Forney.

The USDA report follows a recent study by America's Second Harvest, Hunger in America 2001, that found that 23 million low-income Americans turned to food banks, food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters for emergency food assistance last year. The America's Second Harvest report showed a 9 percent increase in demand for food assistance since 1997, a substantially higher rate of increase than population growth and a trend opposite of the declines in poverty and food stamp participation.

To meet the increased demand on local charities for food assistance, America's Second Harvest and its national network of food banks and food recovery organizations has issued a national Call to Action, urging all sectors of American society to become involved in local hunger relief activities. Americans are asked to participate by donating time, money and food to local food banks and to participate in National Hunger Awareness Day on June 5th.

For more information, or to contact America's Second Harvest, see their website at: www.secondharvest.org