Unfortunately Reports Like These Are the Norm
About a thousand people turned up at the San Diego Food Bank yesterday to receive food and gather information on social services.
People attending the resource fair also got help with their taxes and signed up for food stamps. Food Bank officials estimate nearly half a million people in the San Diego area are currently at risk of going hungry.
Food banks: 30% rise in needy
As a result of growing demand, 72% of food banks have been unable to adequately meet needs, resulting in cut backs in the amount of food they make available to pantries that serve food.
"Millions of Americans simply don't have enough money to buy food," said Ross Fraser, spokesman for Feeding America. "We're seeing the needle moving up in terms of how much people make that come to food pantries."
America's food banks need a bailout
The message is simple. Ever more Americans need food they can't afford. As tough economic times take their toll, increasing numbers of Americans are on tight budgets and, in some cases, facing outright hunger. As a result, they may be learning a lot more about food banks and soup kitchens than most of them ever wanted to know.
Food Bank Needs Help
Many leaders from these charities - churches, social service agencies, pantries - say they are fielding more and more requests for food. As a result, the goods and money they collected during the holidays have been depleted much sooner than usual.
Alachua County's unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in December, and the number of county residents receiving food stamps in January of this year was 18.6 percent greater than it was in January 2008.
This indicates the rising need for food as families look to make ends meet with dwindling - or disappearing - paychecks.
The New York Times reported last week that the demand at food banks nationwide increased by 30 percent in 2008 from the previous year, according to a survey by Feeding America.
United Way to distribute $23,000 to food shelves
“Statistics from our food bank provider indicate usage is up 20% from this time last year. Working families are struggling to make ends meet and have found it necessary to use the emergency food pantries regularly to feed their family.”
Comments (1)
DinnerGarden said
at 3:22 pm on Sep 30, 2009
Please encourage food pantries to register at www.ampleharvest.org. Ample Harvest directs local gardeners to the nearest food pantry so they can donate fresh produce from their gardens. Even gardeners who have food security can be encouraged to grow food and donate it to a local food bank. Most people aren't aware that they can donate to a food bank any time.
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