Hunger
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Women and Children Hit Hardest by Hunger
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90% of Black Children on Food Stamps
Published November 05, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT
In one of the most dramatic examples I've seen of the true reach of hunger in the United States, a new report released this week by Washington University in St. Louis researchers found that 90 percent of black children will be clients of the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP/Food Stamps) at least once by the time they turn 20.
Although the percentage is less for white children (the only other ethnic group studied), the startling statistic here is that, at some point before their 20th birthday, 50 percent of all children in the United States will have received SNAP benefits.
More than being about access to food, the report's lead researcher says his findings represent a more important trend in the upbringing of the country's children. "Rather than being a time of security and safety, the childhood years for many American children are a time of economic turmoil, risk, and hardship," says Mark Rank, Ph.D.
Fresh Produce Still Unaffordable
Published October 31, 2009 @ 09:00AM PT
Where I live in Boston, farmers' markets abound in the summer and fall. I stopped by the Allston Farmers' Market yesterday, where there were free samples of apple cider, pumpkin painting for the kids*, live music, and t-shirts for sale. So nice!
This farmers' market is at a busy intersection, includes parking, is across the street from an affordable housing complex, and is on 2 bus lines. It runs on Friday afternoons until 7pm, so feasibly working people can stop by on their way home. So many conveniences. Also nice.
I then spent $12.50 on 5 carrots, a pint of grape tomatoes, and 6 apples. Not so nice. $12.50??? Does this seem high to anyone else or is it just me? (Granted, I did not buy the apples in bulk, which might have saved me some $$.)
I like supporting organic farms, local farms, local businesses, all that jazz. It's important to me. And I'm thrilled to see this farmers' market accepts EBT, WIC, etc. But with those prices, why would the average low-income shopper part with their dollars there? Can't I stretch my dollars a lot further at the grocery store, purchasing produce shipped in from CA and Mexico? Can't I get more bang for my buck from canned and frozen foods?
How to Donate Your Ample Harvest
Published October 28, 2009 @ 09:48AM PT
Anyone who gardens can tell you that there's a certain point in September when you can't even give away all the extra tomatoes sitting out in your garden.
It was with this realization and the desire to alleviate hunger across the nation that led Gary Oppenheimer to found AmpleHarvest.org. Speaking with Mr. Oppenheimer this morning, I learned that AmpleHarvest.org was launched with the vision to become a comprehensive national database that allows anybody to find a neighborhood food pantry to donate garden produce to.
Although the site has only been live since May 2009, it already has more than 1,000 pantries registered to receive excess produce from neighborhood gardeners in all 50 states.
Mr. Oppenheimer highlighted the need for such a resource with a great example. With so few large food banks in states like Vermont, it's possible that if you had an extra bag of potatoes from your garden, you'd have to drive several hours away just to donate them. With AmpleHarvest.org, you can connect with a food pantry a few miles from your home.
Food Pantry System Needs an Overhaul
Published October 26, 2009 @ 10:05AM PT
With many food pantries around the country being operated by "little old ladies in sneakers," hunger advocates are beginning to worry about who will staff these indispensable operations once an exceedingly aging volunteer base can no longer do it.
After popping up in major cities and small towns alike during the 1970s, food pantries are now being hit with the greatest increase in demand (which has risen between 30 and 70 percent over the past year) they have ever experienced. This is especially troublesome for the elderly volunteers whose bodies simply cannot work any faster or harder.
Many are hoping that as the civically-minded baby boomer generation heads toward retirement, a new group of hunger activists will begin to pick up the slack. It's certainly good news that out of the three billion hours baby boomers spent volunteering last year, nearly 25 percent of that time went to collecting or distributing food.
However, with the recession wiping out many retirement accounts, there's no guarantee that baby boomers will be able to actually leave their paying jobs for the volunteer realm anytime soon.
USDA Study Aims to Make Food Aid More Effective
Published October 22, 2009 @ 06:00AM PT
For the first time in the agency's history, the USDA will conduct a five-year analysis--the National Household Food Purchase and Acquisition Study (NHFPAS)--to document the food choices and expenditures made by families in the U.S. The study will provide the first hard data on where households purchase food and what factors are involved in making food choices, with the results being used by USDA's Food and Nutrition Services division to make federal food aid programs more effective.
This study is partially in response to a report commissioned by Congress this past summer that measured the extent and consequences of food deserts in the U.S. The authors of the study noted the need for a massive public-education campaign if consumer demand is the driving factor behind the lack of healthy food options available in low-income communities. I'm curious to see--through the results of the NHFPAS--if this assumption of demand is indeed accurate.
Flint: Back to the Land
Published October 19, 2009 @ 06:20AM PT
I thought about calling this post "Flint: Uplifting and Depressing" to quote the competing descriptors given to the city working to stabilize itself sustainably in the face of population decline and a lost economic base. This is one of those articles that often tires me, as its efforts to report on any source of progress during long-term shifts like rebuilding an eviscerated city can leave readers buoyed with false hopes or impatient for more positive outcomes ASAP. But it's a telling story of the highs and lows of fighting poverty - the reality that Flint is still deteriorating in places, even as potential new jobs and land uses come to the fore as officials and residents seek to turn around their hometown.
The main focus of the article is creative uses of land - an abundant resource in Flint - such as turning vacant properties into local gardens. For some Americans, a return to the land, rustic, pioneering movement is an economic necessity or the most viable economic solution. So it goes on one street in Flint.
As we know here at Poverty in America, both small scale and large scale efforts like this are happening all over the country. I praise local governments for allowing residents to exercise some creative control over their neighborhoods alongside government efforts to preserve housing, retain or bring in good jobs, and provide for citizens' economic well-being, safety and health.
(Photo of the Beresford Community Garden in San Mateo, CA by Vicky Moore)
Help Protect Housing Vouchers
Published October 16, 2009 @ 05:05AM PT
This country needs therapy. We've gotten to the point, collectively, when common sense fails us. The breaking point? I'd point to the current mindset that it's OK to cut funding for what little housing we have for limited-income families.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) reports that funding shortfalls for the 2009 Housing Choice Voucher Program could cause state and local housing agencies to terminate vouchers or raise rents to levels beyond the financial reach of many families.
This is why I'm in Massachusetts today, to join with activists calling for continued funding of the Housing Choice vouchers, one of the few resources to keep families housed instead of homeless. And we need your support!
