More than 17 Million Households in U.S Don't Get Enough To Eat

In the annual Food Security in the US report, the USDA found 17.4 million households had difficulty providing enough food for family members. But the silver lining according to the federal government is the number of families coping with hunger remains unchanged from 2008 despite the recession. The USDA says these families are being helped by federal nutrition assistance, about 57 percent of them have participated in one or more of the three assistance programs. 

 

Here in Connecticut, the number of households seeking assistance grew slightly last year according to Nancy Carrington, CEO of the Connecticut Food Bank.

 

"It means that one in nine households in Connecticut struggled with hunger in 2009 which is about 400,000 residents. And it's inconceivable in this state as rich as ours that we have people living with hunger."

 

Carrington says two federal programs play a huge role in assisting residents and local food banks.  They are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program formerly known as the Food Stamp program and The Emergency Food Assistance Program or TEFAP which donates food to pantries and other organizations. She says TEFAP works by funneling a portion of tax dollars to purchase USDA foods for those in need.

 

"Last year we distributed more than 15 million pounds of those commodities valued at $8.5 million dollars."

 

She says there isn't a single town in Connecticut that doesn't have a household struggling with hunger. In the last year, Carrington says more families in suburban and ru-ral areas have sought out help from the same pantries they used to donate food to in years past.

 

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Information on donating to local food pantries can be found at ctfoodbank.org