In Indiana, 331,980 households are at risk of going hungry
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported yesterday that 13.2 percent of Hoosier households are food insecure. Overall, that’s 331,980 households in the state who are at risk of hunger. Indiana saw an increase of 2 percent in household food insecurity rates from the prior three-year period, 2006-2008 to 2009-2011. “Food insecurity” means one or more people in the household were hungry over the course of the year because of the inability to afford enough food.
“Families, children, seniors, and many working Hoosiers are struggling to put enough food on their tables in our state,” said Emily Weikert Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. “Our member food banks are distributing food at record-breaking rates doing their best to keep up. While the economy continues to recover, it is vital that federal food programs are maintained and that Hoosiers keep working together to help their friends and neighbors. No one should go hungry in Indiana, period.”
Nationally, there are over 50 million Americans facing hunger in the US, with nearly 17 million being children. That means 1 in 6 Americans lives in a household that worry about where they will get their next meal.
The report, which highlights food insecurity at national and state levels, shows that the number of households struggling with food insecurity remains well above pre-recession totals. In 2007, the number of food insecure individuals was 36 million. The following year that number skyrocketed to 50 million, and has remained at or near that level for the past four years.
