I read an article today for Hunger in California and the numbers were staggering. Since 2005 the number of 2009 children needing food has doubled.
We are blessed to still have a roof over our heads and food on the table. If you can help these food banks, please give to them first. We all need to pull together in these hard times.
Americans have not been hit this hard since 1920"s Great Depression.
Here is the link to the schocking statistics and this is just California!
The Foodbank's study "Hunger In Los Angeles County 2010" was released today in conjunction with survey results collected by food banks throughout the U.S. and compiled at the national level by Feeding America. The national and local results provide the most comprehensive snapshot of the charitable food assistance network to date.
Comparing the results of this survey to a similar survey conducted four years ago, Foodbank President Michael Flood stated that, "Even though food pantries and other agencies are serving more people than ever. These agencies are also reporting the need for more food and other resources to meet the growing demand due primarily to the high unemployment rate." An estimated 584,300 residents of Los Angeles County are unemployed, and the current 12 percent unemployment rate has more than doubled since four years ago.
The new study, based on 451 face-to-face interviews with clients at food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters, as well as 363 surveys of the volunteers and staff who manage food programs, shows that in Los Angeles County:
| • | The total number of people receiving food assistance has increased by 46 percent since 2005 from 674,100 people annually to 983,400 people in 2009. | |
| • | The number of children receiving food assistance has more than doubled from 185,000 in 2005 to 393,000 children in 2009. | |
| • | Health problems are one indicator of need as 30 percent of households have at least one member in poor health. In addition, 35 percent of adult recipients do not have health insurance. | |
| • | While 37 percent of households include at least one employed adult, two-thirds of these adults are working part-time while only one-third of the adults are working full-time. | |
| • | For adults currently working or who have worked before, 20 percent have held managerial or professional jobs during their career. | |
| • | More than one-quarter of adults (27%) have a college or technical school education although 44% of clients do not have a high school diploma; | |
| • | Families and individuals face difficult economic decisions when attempting to meet their basic needs as 48 percent report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities, 46 percent choosing between food and rent, and 42 percent between food and transportation. |
Articles from California Food Banks
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