Interesting stats at this link:
http://www.secondharvest.org/who_we_help/hunger_facts.html
Children
Over 9 million children are estimated to be served by the America's Second Harvest Network, over 2 million of which are ages 5 and under, representing nearly 13% of all children under age 18 in the United States and over 72% of all children in poverty. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 5.3.2N)
According to the USDA, an estimated 12.4 million children lived in food insecure households in 2005. (USDA/ERS, Household Food Security in the United States: 2005)
Proper nutrition is vital to the growth and development of children, particularly for low-income children. 62% of all client households with children under the age of 18 participated in a school lunch program, but only 13% participated in a summer feeding program that provides free food when school is out. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 7.4.1 )
51% of client households with children under the age of 3 participated in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). (Hunger in America 2006; Table 7.4.1)
Nearly 41% of emergency food providers in the America's Second Harvest Network reported "many more children in the summer" being served by their programs. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 10.9.1)
Emergency food assistance plays a vital role in the lives of low-income families. In 2002, over half of the nonelderly families that accessed a food pantry at least once during the year had children under the age of 18. (Urban Institute, Many Families Turn to Food Pantries for Help, November 2003)
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Poverty
According to our most recent hunger study, 66% of all America's Second Harvest client households have annual household incomes at or beneath the poverty line. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 5.8.4.1)
17.5% of all client households have annual incomes between 100% and 185% of the federal poverty level. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 5.8.4.1)
6.2% have annual incomes of 186% of poverty or more. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 5.8.4.1)
The number of people below the poverty threshold numbered 36.5 million in 2006, a rate of 12.3% of all Americans. (U.S. Census Bureau, Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2006)
The average annual income in 2004 among client households served by the America's Second Harvest Network was $11,210. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 5.8.4.1 )
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Food Insecurity
An estimated 35.1 million Americans are food insecure (low food security and very low food security); meaning their access to enough food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. (USDA/ERS, Household Food Security in the United States: 2005)
41.5% of all client households served by the America's Second Harvest Network reported having to choose between buying food and paying for utilities or heat within the previous 12 months. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 6.5.1)
More than one-third (35%) of client households reported having to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 6.5.1)
Nearly one-third (31.6%) of client households reported having to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care. (Hunger in America 2006; Table 6.5.1)
6% of households with seniors (1.6 million households) were food insecure (low food security and very low food security) (USDA/ERS, Household Food Security in the United States: 2005).
