Feeding America

Feeding America

Feeding America is the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity and their goal is simple: end hunger by feeding Americans.  They offer a range of programs to advocate against hunger, provide meals and snacks, and also educating about proper nutrition.  Hunger in America is a large issue, read the following statistics to learn more.

• 1 in 6 Americans do not have access to enough food.
• Hunger is not an issue just for the people who struggle with poverty or homelessness – only 10% of client households are homeless and 36% of individuals served by Feeding America have at least one working adult in the household.
• More than 17 million children are living in food-insecure households.
• About 17% of adults receiving supplemental nutrition assistance have attended college or a technical school.
• More than 2 million rural households experience food insecurity – meaning they don’t have dependable access to enough food to sustain a healthy life.

Childhood hunger is a big issue because studies show that students who are not adequately fed do poorly in school as well as being more irritable and easily fatigued.  Kids Cafe® provides free meals and snacks during after-school hours to low-income children at locations of after-school programs (public schools, Boys and Girls Clubs, etc).  The Backpack Program has been providing children with bags of easy-to-prepare food they will need over the weekend.  When school is not in session, many children do not have the food needed to live a healthy life.  Feeding America also operates a summer food program, where healthy meals and food packages are distributed in safe environments to children at-risk of hunger during the summer months.

The other programs offered by this hunger-relief charity include The Mobile Pantry, to expand service into regions food banks cannot reach; SNAP Outreach includes raising awareness of SNAP benefits and assisting in the application process; National Produce Program to secure and distribute fresh fruits and vegetables; and Disaster Relief to provide immediate relief through emergency feeding centers.

According to Feeding America, below are some brief statistics about Illinois:

• Food Insecurity rate: 15%
• Poverty Rate: 12.6%
• Child Food Insecurity Rate: 22.2%
• Child Poverty Rate: 17.7%
• Population: 12,843,166
• Unemployment Rate: 10.3%

There are six Feeding America food banks in Illinois:

• Greater Chicago Food Depository donates 62,703,840 pounds of food annually.
• Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva distributes 34,488,406 pounds of food each year.
• In Moline, Illinois, the Central Illinois Food Bank provides 6,974,538 pounds of food annually.
• Other smaller food banks include: Eastern Illinois Food Bank (6,879,610 pounds/year), River Bend Food Bank (6,578,665 pounds/year), and Peoria Area Food Bank (2,685,140 pounds/year).

Each of these food pantries, as well as others across the nation provide food at soup kitchens, shelters, day cares, senior centers, rehabilitation centers, emergency food agencies, residences, and as part of youth and other programs.  Because clients are unable to access or afford the quantity of food provided, they realized their unique position “to help those who struggle with hunger while also promoting better nutrition by increasing access to healthful foods like fruits and vegetables, raising awareness of the coexistence of hunger with other diet-related diseases, and by promoting nutrition education.”  It is important to do what we can to end hunger while teaching proper nutrition.  The federal government has the most power in helping put food on tables of those in need.  Take action and educate elected officials about food insecurity!