The Associated Press is reporting that the number of first time food bank users has caused “the greatest demand in years at food banks nationwide,” according to the Chicago-based national food bank association Feeding America.The culprit is most likely the recession as the AP reports that many of the first timers were middle class Americans who lost their jobs or saw their wages cut. While both national organizations and federal agencies have just started collecting data on first time users, “anecdotal evidence and statistics from individual pantries is clear: More and more new faces are appearing among the approximately 25 million Americans who rely on food pantries each year.”
The AP reports that pantries from California to New York have seen increased participation on a daily basis. Across the country food banks are reporting roughly a 30 percent increase in demand; however, some have seen the jumps in demand as high as 150 percent, according to Feeding America.
This news follows the recent reports from the US Department of Agriculture that 49 million people, or 14.6 percent of U.S. households, “struggle to put food on the table.” This number is the highest it has been since the data started being kept in 1995. Additionally, worldwide hunger continues to be an issue the international community is trying to combat.
While Congress is moving legislation slowly that deals with food safety, action on food security may not be far behind, at least in terms of child nutrition.
To read the AP article click here.
Posted: 11/30/09
