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THE IMPACT OF HUNGER

EVERY COMMUNITY

Hunger exists in every community in the nation, from urban city centers, throughout the suburbs, and across rural America.

The rate of food insecurity among rural households is generally lower than urban households, but slightly higher than the national average. The irony is that many of these food-insecure households are in the very rural and farm communities whose productivity feeds the world and provides low-cost, wholesome food for American consumers. 

AFRICAN AMERICAN HUNGER

While hunger has no boundaries, it does impact some communities more than others. African Americans are more than twice as likely to suffer from food insecurity as their white, non-Hispanic counterparts. They are disproportionately affected by unemployment and poverty as well.

 

  • 1 in 4… 25% African American households are food insecure as compared with 1 in 10… 11% of Caucasian households and one in seven 15% households overall. 

  • In 2012, African Americans were approximately twice as likely to be unemployed 14% as their white, non-Hispanic counterparts 7%.

Reference

 

[i] CPS Table 3. (2012). Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, age, and race. Household data annual averages. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[ii] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Household Food Security in the United States in 2013, Table 2. USDA ERS.
[iii] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014).Household Food Security in the United States in 2013, Statistical Supplement Table S-3. USDA ERS.
[iv] Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard, A. Satoh, & E. Waxman. Map the Meal Gap 2014: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2014.
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, National Report. August 2014.
[vii] US Census Bureau, 2012 American Community Survey (ACS) Table B03002.
[viii] DeNavas-Walt, C. & Proctor, B.D. (2014). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013. U.S. Census Bureau.
[ix] Ibid.

LATINO HUNGER

The Latino population in the United States has nearly doubled in the past decade and continues to grow. Currently, Latino communities are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, poverty and unemployment. They are also less likely to receive support through federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and are at greater risk of developing diet-related illnesses. Consequently, the Our Actions network understands the urgency of reaching Latino populations with interventions targeted to meet their specific needs. 

 

  • Nearly one in four 23% of Latino households are food insecure as compared to just 1 in 10… 11% of Caucasian households and one in seven 15% households overall.

  • In 2012, Latinos were significantly more likely to be unemployed 10% than non-Hispanic whites 7%.

Reference

 

[i] ACS Table B03002. (2013). Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race. 2012 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates.
[ii] The Hispanic Population: 2010. (2011). U.S. Census Bureau.
[iii] CPS Table 4. (2013). Employment status of the Hispanic or Latino population by age and sex
[iv] CPS Table 3. (2013). Employment status of the civilian noninstitutional population by sex, age, and race. Household data annual averages. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
[v] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Food Security in the United States in 2013. Table 2. USDA ERS.
[vi] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Food Security in the United States in 2013, Statistical Supplement. Table S-3. USDA ERS.
[vii] Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard, A. Satoh, & E. Waxman. Map the Meal Gap 2014: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2014.
[viii] Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, National Report. August 2014.
[ix] DeNavas-Walt, C. & Proctor, B.D. (2014). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013. U.S. Census Bureau.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ibid.
[xii] Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2012. (2014). USDA FNS.
[xiii] Table 30 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: 2011. Table 31.
[xiv] Narayan KMV, Boyle JP, Thompson TJ, et al. “Lifetime Risk for Diabetes Mellitus in the United States.” Journal of the American Medical Association, 290(14): 1884-1890, 2003.
[xv] Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, Lamb MM and Flegal KM. “Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007–2008.” Journal of the American Medical Association, 303(3): 242–249, 2010

SENIOR HUNGER

More than 4 million senior citizens face hunger. Seniors face a number of unique medical and mobility challenges that put them at a greater risk of hunger. After a lifetime of hard work, many find themselves struggling with health issues on fixed incomes. These individuals are forced to choose between paying for groceries and buying medicine.

Our Actions addresses the unique challenges of senior hunger through interventions that take into account the health status, medication needs, transportation, physical limitations and dietary restrictions of older Americans. As the proportion of people over the age of 60 continues to grow, Our Actions continues to develop innovative initiatives to get more food to more seniors in need. 

 

  • More than 33% of client households have at least one member who is age 60 or older. 

  • 63% of client households with seniors report making choices between paying for food and paying for medicine/medical care.

  • More than 3 out of 4… 77% client households with seniors have a member(s) with high blood pressure, and nearly half 47% have a member(s) with diabetes.

Reference

 

[i] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Aging.  (2012). A profile of Older Americans: 2012.
[ii]  Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, National Report. August 2014.
[iii] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Household Food Security in the United States in 2013, Table 2. USDA ERS.
[iv] Ziliak, J.P. & Gundersen, C. (2013.) Spotlight on Food Insecurity among Senior Americans: 2011. National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH).
[v] Feeding America and National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH). (2014, March). Spotlight on Senior Health Adverse Health Outcomes of Food Insecure Older Americans.
[vi] Ziliak, J. & Gunderson, C. (2009, September). Senior Hunger in the United States: Differences across states and rural and urban areas.  University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Special Reports. http://www.mowaa.org/document.doc?id=193
[vii] Wolfe WS, Frongillo EA, Valois P. (2003).  Understanding the experience of food insecurity by elders suggests ways to improve its measurement.  J. Nutr. 133:2762-2769, 2003.
[viii] DeNavas-Walt & Carmen, B.D.. U.S. Census Bureau. Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013. September 2014.
[ix] The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2012. (2013). U.S. Census Bureau.
[x] Ibid.
[xi] Ziliak, J. & Gunderson, C. (2009, September). Senior Hunger in the United States: Differences across states and rural and urban areas.  University of Kentucky Center for Poverty Research Special Reports. Retrieved October 7, 2010.
[xii] Lee JS, Frongillo, Jr. EA. (2001).  Nutritional and health consequences are associated with food insecurity among U.S. elderly persons.  J. Nutr. 131: 1503-1509, 2001

CHILD HUNGER

Food insecurity is harmful to all people, but it is particularly devastating to children. Proper nutrition is critical to a child’s development. Not having enough of the right kinds of food can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity. 

In the United States today, nearly 18 million children face hunger. Consequently, 1 in 5 kids are facing greater obstacles to reaching their fullest potential. The future of America lies in our children. When hunger threatens the future of a child, it threatens the future of our nation as well.

 

  • 84 percent of client households with children report purchasing the cheapest food available, even if they knew it wasn’t the healthiest option, in an effort to provide enough food for their household.

  • Among Our Actions client households with children, nearly 9 in 10 households 89% are food insecure.

Reference

 

[i] Ibid.
[ii] Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard, A. Satoh, & E. Waxman. Map the Meal Gap 2014: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2014.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Ibid.
[v] Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, National Report. August 2014.
[vi] Ibid.
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] DeNavas-Walt, C. & B.D. Proctor. (2014). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013. U.S. Census Bureau.
[ix] Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2012. (2014). USDA FNS.
[x] National School Lunch Program: Participation and Lunches Served (2014). USDA, FNS.
[xi] Summer Food Service Program. (2014). USDA FNS

HUNGER AND POVERTY

Hunger and poverty often go hand in hand, but poverty is not the ultimate determinant of food insecurity. People living above the poverty line are often at risk of hunger as well. Research demonstrates that unemployment, rather than poverty, is a better predictor of food insecurity among people living in the United States.

 

The most recent government data collected shows that in 2012,

 

  • 46.5 million Americans were in poverty, including 16.1 million 22% children under the age of 18.

  • 49 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including nearly 16 million children. 

  • The median annual household income of Our Actions clients is $9,175.

  • More than half of client households 54% report at least one employed person at some point in the past year. 

Reference

 

[i] DeNavas-Walt, C. & B.D. Proctor. (2014). Income and Poverty in the United States: 2013. U.S. Census Bureau.
[ii] The Research Supplemental Poverty Measure: 2012. (2012). U.S. Census Bureau.
[iii] Ibid.
[iv] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Household Food Security in the United States in 2013. USDA ERS.
[v] Ziliak, J.P. & Gundersen, C. (2013.) Spotlight on Food Insecurity among Senior Americans: 2011. National Foundation to End Senior Hunger (NFESH).
[vi] Gundersen, C., E. Engelhard, A. Satoh, & E. Waxman. Map the Meal Gap 2014: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level. Feeding America, 2014.
[vii] Coleman-Jensen, A., Gregory, C., & Singh, A. (2014). Household Food Security in the United States in 2013. USDA ERS.
[viii] Ibid.
[ix] Feeding America, Hunger in America 2014, National Report. August 2014.
[x] U.S. Department of Labor. Bureau of Labor Statistics. 2013 Annual Average Unemployment Rates.

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