Household Hunger on the Rise

Today is Thursday, November 19th. Hunger in U.S. households has quickly evolved into an epidemic in this economic crisis. The number of housholds struggling to feed their families has increased from 4 million to 17 million, a true reflection of recession-driven job losses within the past year. The cycle of layoffs, increased poverty, and unemployment ultimately results in household hunger increases of nearly 30% from 2008. This is a point of major concern, for some families no longer have the luxury of providing well-balanced meals and focus on merely putting food in their stomachs. These households are starving for work, for money, and for food.

Reports from November 16, 2009 on household food shortages show that this amounts to 14.6% of the population, or about 49 million people. The USDA classifies these suffering households as having "food insecurity" which means they do not have enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle. According to The Plain Dealer, two-thirds of a group of people used to conduct phone interviews shared that they have very low food security and often go hungry. Even more devastationg, 27% admitted that some days thay eat nothing at all.

According to Mark Nord with the USDA's economic research service, numbers are likely to increase next year. Another shocking statistic is that almost one in four children in our country live on the brink of hunger. The president of Feeding America, Vickie Escarra, said,"The escalating unemployment rate and the number of working-poor lead us to believe that the number of people facing hunger will continue to rise significantly over the coming year. Research on previous economic recessions indicates that people who fall into the grips of poverty in a time of recession do not recover financially."

The reality is that in order to lower these numbers it is going to take a concentrated effort. This country as a whole needs to make a major commitment to fighting hunger. But in order to put a dent in these statistics, a focus needs to be taken within our community. Every little bit helps, and this is what the Hunger Network is here to prove. We are the liaison between your assistance and the hungry people of Greater Cleveland. The face of hunger may be your neighbor, your mail-person, a relative, or even you.

The point is, hunger does not discriminate. All we ask is that you give what you can in this time of need and most especially during the holiday season. For some families, Thanksgiving dinner is not about the turkey but about having something to offer at the dinner table. Help give these hungry families a Thanksgiving meal that they will be undoubtedly thankful for. Donate today!