American Hunger“No matter how you say it, Hunger Hurts”

Hunger in our Backyard

• 1 in 4 children in Arkansas live in poverty…

• For 1 in 6 Americans, hunger is a reality.

• Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under.

• The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food. (Cook, John,Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008.

Numbers don’t lie…

• According to the USDA, in 2009, over 17 million children lived in food insecure households.

• The top five states with the highest rate of food insecure children under 18 are Arkansas, Texas, Arizona, Missouri, Mississippi, as well as the District of Columbia

• 32 percent of pantries, 42 percent of kitchens, and 18 percent of shelters in the Feeding America network reported "many more children in the summer" being served by their programs

• 15.5 million or approximately 20.7 percent of children in the U.S. live in poverty.

• During the 2009 federal fiscal year, 19.5 million low-income children received free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program. Unfortunately, just 2.2 million of these same income-eligible children participated in the Summer Food Service Program that same year.

Effects of Hunger

• poor academic achievement

• school dropout•  abuse and neglect•  behavioral and

socioemotional problems

• physical health problems

• developmental delays

5 MYTHS ABOUT HUNGER

No one goes hungry in America…

…almost 15 percent of U.S. households - are now "food insecure”.

Ending malnourishment is merely a humanitarian concern.

…Hunger threatens our economic future and our national security.

Children are the only ones who go hungry.

…The person most likely to be hungry is a single, working mother.

The food that America wastes could feed everybody.

… it is unfit to eat or impractical to collect. 

Hunger is about food.

… hunger isn't about food; It's about jobs and wages. 

Help stop Hunger

Stamp Out Hunger

Now in its 19th year, the Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which is always held on the second

Saturday in May, has become the nation’s largest single-day food drive. In 2010, drive organizers

representing nearly 1,500 U.S. Post Office branches across the country, collected a record-

setting total of 77.1 million pounds of food donations. This pushed the historical total for the

drive to more than one billion pounds of food.

Feeding America

HELP FEED AMERICA'S HUNGRY:

Our mission is to feed America's hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks and engage our country in the fight to end hunger.

Food Bank of NEA

• The Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas works to eliminate hunger by distributing food to people in need through a network of non-profit agenciesand programs.

Helping Neighbors

• Located on the corner of Huntington and Vine Streets in Jonesboro, AR.

• Serves all of Craighead Country.

• Open year round! • Phone: (870) 935-7298• Monday through Thursday

(except holidays)from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m

May 11, 2011

The Honorable Rick Crawford 1408 Longworth HOB United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515

Dear Congressman Crawford,

I am writing to you as a concerned citizen, parent, and future educator about an issue that impacts the lives of many hardworking Americans: hunger. According to the USDA, in 2009, over 17 million children lived in food insecure households. Many Americans are faced with tough decisions in today’s society; many have to choose whether they should pay the monthly rent or buy food for their families. I feel that as Americans we must take a stand and make hunger a national priority.

Many would argue that hunger is not an issue in America, but they are wrong. According to the USDA, food insecurity and hunger have spiked dramatically in the recent years. In 1995, the USDA found that 35 million Americans faced food insecurity or hunger; consequently, in 2009 that number had risen to 49 million Americans. I have personally witnessed how hunger impacts children in our society. When I was a substitute teacher, I witnessed a third grade boy who had a difficult time in school. He was worrisome and lacked focus; subsequently, the administration found that the young boy only received meals at school. When he and his younger two siblings left school on Friday they did not receive another meal until Monday morning when they returned to school. This young boy’s story had a great impact on my life, I never want to see another child face hunger.

One of President Obama’s campaign goals was to eliminate childhood hunger by 2015. Please support President Obama’s goal of ending childhood hunger. Thank you for your time and consideration of this crucial issue. For more information about ways to end hunger in the U.S. please contact Halt Hunger, at 555-870-5555.

Sincerely, Mrs. Jamie Pounds 45 King Rd. Smithville, AR 72466

Hunger is a reality