In a nationwide survey of 160 local food assistance programs, with operations covering virtually every county in the US, Feeding America found that there has been a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance, and that every food bank has seen an increase in demand for food relief. An opinion poll commissioned by the organization and released simultaneously found that a growing number of low-income families lack sufficient nutrition.
In a chilling statement on social conditions in the US, 72 percent of surveyed food charities said that they are unable to meet the current demands of local communities for assistance. In most cases, the charities have responded by offering smaller distributions to the hungry, and some have been forced to close down.
And from the Feeding America site:
160 food banks responded
• 100% reported increases in demand for emergency food assistance over the last year
• The rate of estimated increases in demand ranged from 28.6% - 37.7%
• When food banks were asked what were the most prominent contributors to increases in
demand:
o 91% cited rising cost of food
o 90.5% cited increasing unemployment
o 67% cited increasing underemployment
o 63% cited the cost of fuel
o 62% cited mortgage/rent costs
o 52% cited inadequacy of food stamp benefits
• When food banks were asked what populations they and their agencies were seeing:
o 99.4% reported seeing more first-time users
o 74% reported seeing more newly unemployed persons
o 73% reported seeing increased need among existing clients (more repeat visits)
o 59% reported seeing more employed persons
o 48% reported seeing more children
• 72% of food banks do not feel as though they are able to adequately meet the needs of their
communities without adjusting the amount of food distributed
It shouldn't surprise anybody there is more demand for food banks with the worsening economy.
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