Feeding America (formerly America's Second Harvest), the nation's largest charitable hunger-relief organization, provides these statistics on the effects of hunger.
In the United States:
- One in five children is hungry or at risk of hunger every year.
- More than 17 million children in the United States live in low-food-secure households.
- According to the Hunger in America study, 37 million Americans seek food assistance each year:
- In 2010, 48.8 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 32.6 million adults and 16.2 million children.
- In 2010, 14.5 percent of households (17.2 million households) were food insecure.
- In 2010, 5.4 percent of households (6.4 million households) experienced very low food security.
- In 2010, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly
- About 21,900 different people in Food Bank for the Heartland's service area receive emergency food assistance in any given week.
- The Food Bank distributed nearly 9 million pounds of food to our agency partners and our direct programs during the 2011-2012 fiscal year.
- Approximately 20 percent of children in Nebraska and western Iowa are at-risk for hunger.
- Douglas County has the most children at-risk for hunger (26,970) followed by Sarpy County (7,600) in Nebraska.
- Woodbury County has the most children at-risk for hunger (6,370) followed by Pottawattamie County (4,420) in Iowa.
- 15.9 percent of Nebraskans reported at least one time in the past 12 months when they did not have enough money to buy food that they or their family needed.
- 52 percent of clients served by Food Bank for the Heartland report having to choose between paying for food and utilities.
- 76 percent have incomes below the federal poverty line.
- 19 percent are homeless.
Source: Data from Feeding America's 2010 Hunger in America Survey
and Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011
Source: Child Food Insecurity in the United States:
