Posted on 01/31/2010 10:58:35 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A new survey indicates that nearly one in five US households could not afford to buy enough food at least once during the past year.
An anti-hunger group said the poll found 18.2 percent of households reported "food hardship" -- lacking money to buy enough food -- in 2009.
The figure reflects a higher percentage than the government's "food insecurity" rating of 14.6 percent of households, or 49 million people, in 2008.
"There are no hunger-free areas of America," Jim Weill of the Food Research and Action Center was quoted as saying by Reuters.
He added that he hoped President Barack Obama would exempt public nutrition programs from a proposed three-year freeze on domestic spending.
Obama has announced a goal to ending childhood hunger by 2015. A year ago, he backed a $1 billion-a-year increase in school lunch and other child nutrition programs.
that is right...Haiti is real hunger at times...fortunately given where they are they can often at least not die just from stuff like mangoes which is why you see all these black kids with orange curious george mouths...
worst hunger I ever saw was on the altiplano in Bolivia
I’m hungry now!
So, why are the majority of overweight Americans
from the so-called poverty line?
Malnutrition is certainly not one of my deficits.
Understanding Poverty in America
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg1713.cfm
The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:
Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.
As a group, America’s poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins, and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms. Poor children actually consume more meat than do higher-income children and have average protein intakes 100 percent above recommended levels.
Here is a current one ( the previous one I posted was from a few years ago — but the basic numbers haven’t changed.)
http://www.heritage.org/Press/Commentary/ed091109b.cfm
Census deems a household poor if its income falls below federally specified levels. But in its regular measurements, Census counts only around 4 percent of total welfare spending as “income.” Because of this, government spending on the poor can expand almost infinitely without having any detectable impact on official poverty or inequality.
Also missing in most Washington discussions about the poor is an acknowledgement of the behavioral causes of official poverty. For example, families with children become poor primarily because of low levels of parental work and high levels of out-of-wedlock childbearing with accompanying single parenthood.
The amount of food we threw away was unbelievable.
Food came from many sources. (Includes money and food).....Donated food from individuals- drop-offs and food drives, food donated from business...such as supermarkets, and money given directly to the food bank from grant programs and the government.
So much food coming in....much of it went bad and had to be thrown out. Dump runs were made almost daily. A lot of it was bread donated from local supermarkets. Perfectly good bread.
Distribution wasn't the problem. The food was delivered to pick up points all around the county. Each location had at least a weekly pick-up for the needy.
Many times the food we wanted to drop off was sent back to us. They told us many people picking up didn't want what was in the box. Pasta, bread, milk, canned goods, cereal, fruit etc....
During the holidays there was always a ham or turkey.
It makes no sense to me that anyone in this Country is hungry. I have seen the food, witnessed the distribution of it, and have seen the disposal of perfectly good, edible, nutritious food.
Stuff that more sensible struggling households would almost kill for.
Could be they are refusing the food?
“Stuff that more sensible struggling households would almost kill for.”
____________________________
That is right. When I was a kid, sometimes the food was low. I would have been happy as a clam to get a box filled with milk, bread, cheese, cereal, sandwich meat..etc..etc
I don’t know if my dad would’ve taken it unless we were truly down to nothing. It was the way he was. God I miss him everyday of my life.
Honest people ought not to be too proud for charity, as they may be in the position to give tomorrow. It is God’s business on earth.
I have to add something to my last post.
There were some nights I would have liked to receive some donated food.
Back at age 7 I thought that donated food was better than ANOTHER pot of beans.
But we never asked for help. My father would just work a second job and my mom would stretch the food budget a little longer.
Looking back I know now that I should have been very grateful for the small house, food and my mom and dad who took care of me. Lesson learned.
Back to the original subject. I know there is enough food being grown and processed to feed every American Citizen.
First the hungry need to find a food drop off location that serves a food bank. Go to the drop off spot when food is delivered. Write down your name and address and take the food.
Yeah, tough choice. Should I buy that 50” flat screen TV or groceries?
America throws away enough foodto feed the world.
This is another request for program funding, that is all.
“An anti-hunger group said the poll found 18.2 percent of households reported “food hardship” — lacking money to buy enough food — in 2009.”
First off, they aren’t “buying” anything. They are exchanging food stamps, not money. Or they are going to free food centers and getting govt cheese and milk.
Secondly, if the poll included potato chips, donuts, and other crap, the percentage of households reporting “food hardship” would fall to zero.
Reading this made me hungry. The rate is 18.2001% now.
Yep! And they will need to make it pay out on a DAILY basis so as to guarantee each person has enough to eat at every moment of every day. Well, that is assuming they go to the grocery store and buy some food with it. You never know!
Ahhh there it is! Undeniable proof that the food-bank is not addressing a pressing need! (Starvation/hunger)
People who are truly hungry or starving do not turn down food.
Back when Ohio was still run by the Republicans we had an event held in our county by some politician(D) addressing "the worst economy in 50 years"(2005) by holding a food bank. Local news covered the event and interviewed people in line (hundreds showed up in a town of 6000). There was a speech on how the Republicans have ruined the economy etc.
I went to this event because it was just a few blocks from where I live and work.(Not to get in line but to observe.) I was curious to see who was in line. To my surprise many people I know and grew up with were in this line and most interesting was everyone I knew in that line (I counted about 35 I knew in all) was a member of a union. Teachers/School Employees Union, Trades Unions (plumbers, electricians, etc.) Coal Miners, Government Workers, etc.
All had nice homes, nice cars and were employed at the time(employment was at that disastrous number of around 6% at the time and they were standing in line for free food.
I noticed also that most of the folks I didn't know were dressed well and when they left the event they got into late model cars.
I've always wondered what possessed them all to get into line and if the same event was held today (now that Democrats are in charge of our district and State) that those same people (many of which don't have jobs anymore) would get in line.
Yep, but your response gave me a good chuckle.
I blame the mis-wording on lack of coffee.
Many of the people who pick up donated food do not truly need it. Many throw away what is given to them because it isn't the kind of food they wanted.
But......there are some who truly need and appreciate the food.
The food banks I know of are year round operations. With a director, office staff, warehouseman, volunteers.
Some of the things I saw there were very eye opening.
I mentioned it before, but worth repeating..the amount of food that was thrown away at the dump because no one wanted it was massive.
Plus the funny accounting that went on to give the director a big paycheck.
And the under reporting of food in warehouse, so they could receive government money to buy more food and to of course have money for bigger paychecks.
Sad, all of it. Good idea, but left alone to run amok.
I think long and hard before I donate a dime to any non-profit.
Many non-profits are run badly. And many times the accounting they show you is bogus. I have seen it myself many times.
Check very well before you donate FReepers.
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