Local, national officials say number of Americans struggling with hunger on the rise

The shelves at the Food Bank of East Alabama are sparse as the organizations works to help the hungry in the community. A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture states that more than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008, the highest number since the department began tracking food security levels in 1995. Locally, Martha Henk, director of the Food Bank of East Alabama, said more and more people are in need of food. The food bank serves about 13,800 people a month, she said.

By: Staff and wire Reports | Opelika Auburn News
Published: November 17, 2009

More than one in seven American households struggled to put enough food on the table in 2008, the highest number since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began tracking food security levels in 1995.
That’s 14.6 percent of U.S. households, or about 49 million people. The numbers are a significant increase from 2007, when 11.1 percent of U.S. households suffered from what USDA classifies as “food insecurity” — not having enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle.
Locally, Martha Henk, director of the Food Bank of East Alabama, said more and more people are in need of food.
“We’ve seen right at a 30 percent increase in the last three months (a 30 percent increase in request for assistance),” Henk said. “It’s been scary actually.“
The food bank serves about 13,800 people a month, she said.
“The recession has driven the food insecurity numbers even higher than the numbers that were just released,” she said. “The next time we look at the numbers I think it’s going to a lot worse.”
Nationally, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack also said the numbers could be higher in 2009 because of the global economic slowdown.
“This report suggests its time for America to get very serious about food security and hunger,” Vilsack told reporters during a conference call.
The USDA said Monday that 5.7 percent of those who struggled for food experienced “very low food security,” meaning household members reduced their food intake.
The numbers dovetail with dire economic conditions for many Americans. And they may not take the full measure of America’s current struggles with hunger: Vilsack and the report’s lead author, Mark Nord with USDA’s economic research service, both emphasized that the numbers reflected the situation in 2008 and that the economy’s continued troubles in 2009 would likely mean higher numbers next year.
The report also showed an increasing number of children in the United States are suffering food insecurity. In 2008, 16.7 million children were classified as food insecure, 4.3 million more than in 2007.