For people facing hunger, poverty is just one issue

40 million Americans struggle with hunger, the same as the number of people officially living in poverty. Based on annual income, 72% of the households the Feeding America network served in 2014 lived at or below the federal poverty level with a median annual household income of $9,175.

Hunger and Poverty Facts

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Brittany
Salt Lake City,
Utah

It’s a terrible feeling as a mom but it’s a reality. Do you get the medicine? Do you get the fresh food? Do you get the shoes, or do you send them to school in November with sandals?

Brittany wants to give her children everything, but she couldn’t always afford the healthiest food. When the Utah food bank brought fresh produce and dairy to her neighborhood, it helped her family get back on their feet.

playOrangeSm Watch a video about Brittany ›

Brittany

Salt Lake City,
Utah

Brittany wants to give her children everything, but she couldn’t always afford the healthiest food. When the Utah food bank brought fresh produce and dairy to her neighborhood, it helped her family get back on their feet.

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Facts about poverty and hunger in America

Even in the world’s greatest food-producing nation, children and adults face poverty and hunger in every county across America.

  • 40 million people struggle with hunger in the United States, including more than 12 million children.
  • A household that is food insecure has limited or uncertain access to enough food to support a healthy life.
  • Households with children were more likely to be food insecure than those without children
  • 58% of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the major federal food assistance program — the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps); the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (often called WIC)

Feeding America works to lift people out of poverty

More than half of the households that the Feeding America network serves receive SNAP benefits, and nearly all Feeding America households with school-aged children receive free or reduced-priced lunch. Participation in these federal programs is just one indicator of how great the need is among the people we serve. Thankfully, there is a Feeding America network foodbank that touches every single county in the country.

Give to Feeding America today

For every dollar donated, the Feeding America network of food banks can secure and distribute at least 10 meals to people facing hunger — including those fighting through poverty.

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