Childhood Hunger on the Rise

New Study Details Child Food Insecurity at Local Level
Nearly 19 percent of Connecticut’s Children at Risk of Hunger

We’ve been saying one out of every six children in Connecticut is food insecure. But today’s release of data shows a much more disturbing number. It’s nearly one out of every five children in this state – which sharply contrasts with our reputation as the state with the highest per capita income. How can a state with so much wealth allow this many children to struggle with hunger?

Today, Connecticut Food Bank and the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, Feeding America, released a new study which reveals that children are struggling with hunger in every county and congressional district in Connecticut at an overall rate of 18.9 percent.

The Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011 study shows the child food insecurity rate in Connecticut ranges from 16.4 percent in Middlesex County to 22.8 percent in Windham County. In Connecticut Food Bank’s service area which includes Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven, New London, Middlesex and Windham Counties, the child food insecurity rate is 18.7 percent, or nearly one in five children.

“The study also confirms our assessment that half of the children living in food insecure households in Connecticut are not eligible for federal child nutrition programs because they live in a households with incomes over the threshold to qualify,” said Nancy L. Carrington, Connecticut Food Bank’s President and CEO. “They often rely on Connecticut Food Bank and its member programs for food assistance.” These federal programs include SNAP (food stamps), reduced-price school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC).

The child food insecurity rates in the counties served by Connecticut Food Bank are:

Fairfield County: 38,980 children or 17.3% of all children
Litchfield County: 7,710 children or 18.2%
New Haven County: 40,100 children or 20.5%
New London County: 10,880 children or 18.2%
Middlesex County: 5,860 children or 16.4%
Windham County 6,080 children or 22.8%
Total for Connecticut Food Bank’s service area: 109,610 children or 18.7 % of all children

“The prevalence and consequences of our nation’s child food insecurity problem are well documented, but our efforts to adequately address the problem have been hindered by a lack of data at the local level,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “This new information addresses this need by providing first-ever data about the prevalence of child food insecurity at the county and congressional district level.”

The research is a follow up to the Map the Meal Gap 2011: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level, supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nielsen. This data provided the first detailed look at the food budget needed by families struggling with hunger, which in Connecticut is an estimated $199 million.

The ConAgra Foundation funded the child food insecurity research with the goal of advancing the collective understanding of child hunger in America, so that resources at the local and national level could be better leveraged to help children and families in need.

Connecticut Food Bank serves approximately 600 community-based feeding programs in six of Connecticut’s eight counties: Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham. Connecticut Food Bank distributes more than 31 tons of food every business day. For more information about Connecticut Food Bank, visit www.ctfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CTFoodBank or follow our news on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CTFoodBank. To donate and help in our fight against hunger, click here.

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

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Nearly 15 Percent of Connecticut Households Surveyed Unable to Afford Enough Food New FRAC Report Highlights Data for First Half of 2010

Nearly 15 percent of Connecticut residents surveyed in the first half of 2010 said that in the prior 12 months there were times when they did not have enough money to buy the food they needed for themselves or their family. These survey results are according to the Food Research and Action Center’s series of analyses of survey data on food hardship collected by Gallup as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. This particular analysis looks at the most recent available food hardship rates by state, for the first half of 2010.

In the year-round survey that began in January 2008, 1,000 individuals per day were asked, “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?”

Additionally, the report compares results in the 12 month period from July 2008 through June 2009, to the 12 months from July 2009 through June 2010, and finds that food hardship in Connecticut decreased by less than one percent over that time period. These two, 12-month segments were selected to see if there was any significant change from the time of the heart of the recession to the first year of recovery.

“Although the food hardship rate in Connecticut has not increased, the number of families who continue to struggle to put food on the table remains very high at 1 in 7 surveyed,” said Connecticut Food Bank Chief Executive Officer Nancy L. Carrington. “It will be challenging, but in the New Year we must do all that we can to reduce these statistics which can represent your family, friends or neighbors who are affected by unemployment, underemployment, poverty and food hardship.”

The full report is available at http://www.frac.org

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Our Thanks

This past Thanksgiving Day, many of us sat around the dinner table surrounded by friends and families expressing our gratitude over heaping plates of food. Thousands of men, women and children who are struggling to survive in today’s economy were also able to share in the spirit of the holiday thanks to the generosity of their neighbors.

Scores of individuals, families, civic groups, schools, religious organizations and companies came forward in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to help make Connecticut Food Bank’s “Thanksgiving for All” campaign a success. Together, we collected 24,516 turkeys and more than 360 tons of trimmings. With everyone’s help, we were able to provide nearly 779,503 meals for people in need of food assistance this holiday season.

The kindness demonstrated throughout our Thanksgiving campaign was not only awe-inspiring, but also a testament to what we can do when we work together as a community. As today’s recession continues to push more of our neighbors over the brink of financial security, we have to do more. Hunger is a year-round issue that doesn’t end on Thanksgiving weekend. You can help Connecticut families year round by making a donation at http://www.ctfoodbank.org/donate.

Since this current recession began, Connecticut saw one of the most significant increases in households grappling with food insecurity according to a federal report released days before Thanksgiving.

We can’t justify people living with hunger. We must do all we can to change this. And as we learned this past Thanksgiving, we have the ability and fortitude to feed thousands of individuals who were in danger of going without a holiday meal. Let’s carry that resolve beyond Thanksgiving and into the days and months that follow.

On behalf of Connecticut Food Bank and the 650 food-assistance programs we serve, thank you for your wonderful support this Thanksgiving and all year long.

Sincerely,

Nancy L. Carrington
Chief Executive Officer
Connecticut Food Bank

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“Thanksgiving for All” Campaign is Thousands Short of Meeting Distribution Needs

The Connecticut Food Bank is more than 4,000 short of its expected demand for turkeys this holiday. The shortage means thousands of residents, many of them children, will not have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year.

There are difficult financial strains due to the economic environment in our state. Connecticut Food Bank is asking everyone who is able to please consider donating a turkey to help others. This holiday represents an opportunity to reflect on those things we are all thankful for, a time for family and friends. Those who donate make it possible for everyone to be a part of the sharing process of Thanksgiving.

Last year, Connecticut Food Bank distributed 26,503 turkeys and 491,000 pounds of food, which provided an estimated 590,000 meals for people in need during the holiday season. Every event planned for this month is critical, not only to collect food and funds, but also to increase awareness about the ongoing battle with hunger and poverty that many Connecticut residents face. One out of every seven households in Connecticut is struggling to keep food on the table.

Find a “Thanksgiving for All 2010” event near you to donate:

• KC 101, WELI 660, ESPN 1300 Stuff-a-Bus. Friday, November 19, 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturday, November 20: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Hamden Plaza, 2100 Dixwell Ave., Hamden

• WATR Big Heart at Big Y. Friday, November 19, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. and Saturday, November 20, 7 a.m. – 1 p.m. Collecting frozen turkeys, non-perishables and financial donations. Big Y, 85 Bridge St., Naugatuck

• i95 Camping for Cans. Starting 5 a.m. Monday, November 23 – ending at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, November 25. Collecting non-perishables and financial donations. Danbury Auto Group Lot, approx. 72 Newtown Rd., Danbury

Also, Connecticut Food Bank warehouses in East Haven, Fairfield and Waterbury will have extended holiday hours to accept food and monetary donations from the public, and for volunteers to help sort and distribute food to member programs before Thanksgiving.

People unable to get to a food drive may donate a turkey or other items at Connecticut Food Bank’s Virtual Food Drive at http://www.ctfoodbank.org.

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Meatless Monday (Maybe) and Tuesday and Wednesday…

Editor’s Note: Below is a guest post from Elaine Piraino-Holevoet of PIROET Design, who initially posted the entry on her blog, called ontheroadtogreenness. The blog is a tale of one person’s lifelong journey to becoming a good person living a green lifestyle. It is also the story of the people she has met, the things she has tried, the places she has traveled, and the ideas she has encountered along the way. These are all recounted in the hope of getting others to join her on her quest to save the planet. The blog entry below is reprinted with permission.

Many who go without meat on Monday have made a conscious decision to do so—perhaps to improve their health or because they are concerned about climate change. Some are vegetarians or vegans and go without meat every day for ethical reasons. Whatever the motivation, it is a privilege when one can make the choice.

For too many others, actively choosing to “go meatless” is not a possibility. In order to feed their family, or to relieve their hunger, they will eat what is served at the soup kitchen or what comes in the donated bag of groceries, whether it is meat or vegetable, syrupy or salty, funny colored or natural, or tastes like it comes from a can. They will do this on Monday, on Tuesday, on Wednesday, and on all the other days. Some days they may not eat at all. As we observe Meatless Monday, let’s think for a moment about those who can’t choose to join us.

The recession is over according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. And I heard from a niece who works for a company which sells shipping supplies that new orders are on the rise. But even if the recession IS over, recovery will take a long while. The statistics for those living in poverty are way up. The August jobless rate in my state was 9.1 percent, and that figure does not include those who have given up looking for work.

Connecticut Food Bank, an organization I know very well, just sent me a solicitation reading:

“The severe effects of the economic crisis and high unemployment are still being felt. Many families with children are going hungry, and are desperately seeking emergency food assistance—some for the first time in their lives. Proud seniors in our communities are barely surviving on fixed incomes. They are unable to afford both their medicine and meals… Connecticut Food Bank distributes more than 16 million pounds of food a year to 650 food-assistance programs. These agencies are much-needed lifelines—providing groceries and hot meals to 300,000 hungry men, women and children. A successful Thanksgiving Appeal will go a long way toward fighting the problem of hunger here in Connecticut.”

Connecticut Food Bank is one of 200 food banks which are members of Feeding America, the nation’s largest food bank network. In its August newsletter, Connecticut Food Bank references a study released in July by Feeding America that reports 15.9 percent of Connecticut children under the age of 18 are hungry or at risk of hunger. More than 100,000 children in the state with the highest per capita income!

In less developed nations, scores of people are in dire straits daily, particularly when natural disasters strike. Oxfam is often a first responder to emergencies as the recent floods in Pakistan and the earthquakes in Haiti. There are many other groups working on hunger relief. I merely reference three I happen to know and trust.

Times may be tough. But if you are reading this post on a computer or a mobile device, chances are that you are able to take some action, even if it is a small one, to help alleviate hunger. In this season of harvest and plenty, let’s remember those less fortunate, in our country and around the world.

I often blog on food or food issues on Monday in support of Meatless Monday, one of several programs developed in the Healthy Monday project, founded in 2003 in association with Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications. Meatless Monday’s goal is “to help reduce meat consumption 15 percent in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet.”

Posted by Elaine Piraino-Holevoet of PIROET Design, a supporter of Connecticut Food Bank and designer of Connecticut Food Bank’s semiannual newsletter, Connecticut Food News

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Hurricane Recession Has Passed, But Devastation Lingers

When I heard the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) proclaim on Sept. 20 that the recession was over, my immediate, knee-jerk reaction was: “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

According to the NBER, a nonpartisan group of economists, the recession actually ended last year—June 2009.

Like many people, I want the recession to be over for both personal and professional reasons. But like many people who see everyday the human effects of the devastation of this so-called Great Recession I can’t help but utter disbelief in what economists are saying out loud.

Let’s not forget, five days before the NBER said the recession was over, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that more people are struggling with poverty—hitting the highest level recorded since 1994. And children felt the hardest poverty hit, with one child in five affected, according to The New York Times.

And on Thursday at our biennial Programs Conference, I met a volunteer from one of our food pantries who told me how she has been out of a job after being laid off and still can’t find new employment despite her best efforts.

How can someone say the recession is over? And it’s been over for more than a year?

Let me be clear, we at Connecticut Food Bank and our partner food-assistance programs already had tough enough jobs before the recession. This economic downturn—which The New York Times called the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression—just made it worse. So we would be the first to celebrate the end of the recession, but there’s nothing to celebrate.

After a week’s worth of reflection and hearing ongoing news about the recession as well as the hurricane season, I’ve come to understand the role of the economists at NBER.

The NBER economists, as far as I can tell, track the recessions like the weather service tracks a hurricane that may threaten our shores. The economists pinpoint the actual start of the recession based on certain conditions as the weather service watches the wind and weather patterns that may be developing along the Atlantic that could lead to a hurricane.

The NBER then follows the economic conditions that define a recession and when those conditions are no longer met, the economists can say the recession is over. It’s just like the weather service saying, after the winds and rains have dissipated, the hurricane has passed and we’re in the clear.

But we know all too well that when a hurricane makes landfall, being in the clear isn’t the end of our problems. We have to deal with the devastation and destruction left by the storm. Just look at how the Gulf to this day is still struggling with the effects of Hurricane Katrina five years later.

In its simplest sense, that’s what we’re seeing with the Great Recession.

If the recession is truly over, then we’re now facing the human devastation and community destruction it has left in its path. And as Warren Buffett told CNBC last week, it will take us a long time to get out of this mess.

We know this because we have heard from other economists that households experiencing the long-term unemployment or underemployment associated with this recession—the people who are now coming to the food banks, food pantries and soup kitchens—will not fully recover for at least 10 years beyond the turn-around of the economy.

That’s the reality that Connecticut’s anti-hunger advocates are facing. Our work, therefore, continues.

Posted by Gladys Alcedo, Communications Coordinator of Connecticut Food Bank

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