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Nearly 50 Million People — And Almost One In Four Children — Went Hungry At Some Point Last Year According to the latest data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly 50 million people, and almost one in four children, did not have enough to eat at some point in 2008:
In 2008, nearly 17 million children, or 22.5 percent, lived in households in which food at times was scarce — 4 million children more than the year before. And the number of youngsters who sometimes were outright hungry rose from nearly 700,000 to almost 1.1 million. Among Americans of all ages, more than 16 percent — or 49 million people — sometimes ran short of nutritious food, compared with about 12 percent the year before. The deterioration in access to food during 2008 among both children and adults far eclipses that of any other single year in the report’s history. President Obama characterized the data as “unsettling,” and reiterated his campaign pledge to end child hunger by 2015. “These numbers are a wake-up call…for us to get very serious about food security and hunger, about nutrition and food safety in this country,” added Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.
These numbers will only get worse in the short-term, as 2009’s increase in unemployment will negatively impact the food situation of even more families. This is just one more reason that any jobs package that Congress puts together should include further aid to states, so that they don’t cut back on services providing food to the hungry, or lay off even more people that will have to join lines at the soup kitchen.
But, since Obama is remaining committed to his 2015 goal, this could also be a time to look at poverty-fighting measures more widely. The Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing today on reauthorization of U.S. Child Nutrition Programs, which is one more opportunity to combat hunger, if dollars are put in the right places. As Vilsack told the committee “this legislation is an opportunity to in one stroke confront both the challenges of obesity and hunger – with the prospect of better health and well-being in the years to come. Investing in meal quality and access to these critical programs will help support the capacity of our young people to learn and acquire the tools necessary to become the leaders of tomorrow.” Comments 2 SharePermalink
-------------------- Wise men learn more from fools than fools from the wise. Posts: 3827 | From: beautiful California | Registered: Sep 2008
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There is a lot of food out there that could be used to help feed these people.
But there also is a lot of people(groups) that want cash donations instead of food and most know why.
Unfortuantly it's not about just feeding people, which it should be.
It's amazing how many people and busineses will donate food to help, but most groups want it there way, the ones that distribute the food.
These people that need food should not need the gov. to help, which we know will cause a lot of our money that is suppose to be for these food programs to get lost in the wrong places.
To much BS while these people don't eat.
Posts: 3875 | From: ca. | Registered: Jul 2005
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yessir....and let's continue to make sure that all of our hollywood heroes get their fair share for all of the hard work and suffering they endure...
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It's all in the timing... Posts: 4303 | From: DSA | Registered: Dec 2003
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