11 Facts About Hunger in the US

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  1. 1 in 6 people in America face hunger.

  2. Households with children reported a significantly higher food insecurity rate than households without children in 2011. 20.6 percent vs. 12.2 percent.

  3. Food insecurity exists in every county in America. In 2011, 17.9 million households were food insecure.

  4. 50.1 million Americans struggle to put food on the table.

  5. In the US, hunger isn’t caused by a lack of food, but rather the continued prevalence of poverty.

  6. More than 1 in 5 children is at risk of hunger
    • Among African-Americans and Latinos, it’s 1 in 3.

  7. Over 20 million children receive free or reduced-price lunch each school day. Less than half of them get breakfast and only 10 percent have access to summer feeding sites.

  8. For every 100 school lunch programs, there are only 87 breakfast sites and just 36 summer food programs.

  9. 1 in 7 people are enrolled in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Nearly half of them are children.

  10. 40 percent of food is thrown out in the US every year, or about $165 billion worth. All of this uneaten food could feed 25 million Americans.

  11. These seven states have statistically higher food insecurity rates than the US national average (14.7%):
    • Mississippi (19.2%)
    • Texas (18.5%)
    • Arkansas (19.2%)
    • Alabama (17.4%)
    • Georgia (17.4%)
    • Florida (16.2%)
    • North Carolina (17.1%)

Do something about this issue today. Run a food drive. GO

Sources: Feeding America, Bread for the World, Yahoo News, SNAP to Health

 

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