The recession has meant a staggering increase in the number of people who are hungry and experiencing food insecurity. The letter from the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Feeding America reported that food insecurity is high at 49 million, up from 36 million before the recession began. Feeding America serves as a coordinating body of food banks, an advocate for policy changes to benefit the hungry in America, and a helpful source of current, localizable and valuable information about food insecurity. While this serves primarily as a resource for people looking for assistance, including local food banks, or ways of volunteering to help the hungry, it also serves students and researchers well in the kinds and levels of information available.
While the user can study big picture information, it is easy to narrow the focus to hunger with special populations, including children, the suburbs, in rural communities and among seniors. It is especially valuable to be able to readily access local information. The user can hover over a map and go down to the county level with 2009/2010 data to find, in my county, that there is an 11.8 percent food insecurity rate, meaning 7,400 people are food insecure. The data also show the deeper data about these people experiencing food insecurity, including the percent below the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threshold of 165 percent poverty. The data can be child only or overall food insecurity, and besides the state and county level, it is also possible to look at the congressional district data.
In addition to this invaluable data, there are also studies on the economic impact of hunger, reports on the role of food banks in today's America, and reports on the role of emergency food assistance. Stories from real people experiencing food insecurity break some of the stereotypes students may have about the people in need. Policy recommendations focusing on child hunger are outlined as well.
This is an excellent resource both for those at need and those who want to understand the research about this critical issue in our neighbourhoods.
