Hunger 101
What does it mean to be “hungry”?
Most of us know what it means to feel hungry, but what if you were unable to eat to make your hunger go away? Food insecurity is the term used to describe ongoing hunger. Food insecurity according to the World Health Organization’s definition is described as a lack of “sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life style.”
Commonly, the concept of food insecurity is defined as including both a lack of physical and economic access to food that meets people’s dietary needs.
Who are the hungry in our community?
The face of hunger in Sacramento might surprise you. Likely, you have stood in line next to people facing hunger at the post office or seen them at the grocery store. A common misconception is that the majority of people who need food assistance are the homeless and mentally ill. That is not the case. As a result of the recession, many of our clients are households who hold down one or two jobs, but cannot make ends meet. One out of every 3 clients we served in 2011 is a CHILD and approximately 37% more seniors in 2011 will need help with emergency food than in 2010.
How many children experience hunger in Sacramento?
The number of families needing help with emergency food services increased 30% to 40% since 2007.. According to the most recent numbers from Feeding America, 25.3% of Sacramento County’s children are food insecure, which equates to over 90,000 children. River City Food Bank will serve more than 13,000 children by the end of 2011.
Is food insecurity affecting seniors?
Seniors are being hit hard, because their fixed incomes are not keeping pace with rising costs. According to an analysis released in February 2008 by University of California, Los Angeles, single or married seniors living at 100% of the FPL have enough money to cover only half of their most basic costs such as housing, utilities, medical care – and food. For the first time in three decades, seniors who depend on Social Security Income will not receive a Cost of Living Adjustment; furthermore, California cut its supplement four times in 2009 due to the state budget crisis, costing poor senior Californians on SSI a total of $172 per month for a couple. River City Food Bank will serve over 4,400 seniors in 2011, almost 40% more than in 2010.
How are families affected by hunger in our community?
The number of people securing food for children is up from 30% several years ago to 40%. Despite having some income, all but a few of RCFB’s clients have household incomes below 100% of the federal poverty level (FPL), which is defined in 2011 as just $22,350 for a family of four.
Low-income people spend an average of 30% of their budget on food, compared to 7% for the average American. Many poor Sacramentans live in areas with few grocery stores, forcing them to pay more for staples and fresh produce, or making it difficult to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet
How does Sacramento compare to other counties in food security?
Sacramento ranks 48th out of 58 counties in California (l=best; 58=worst) in percentage of adults in households that are food insecure.
Does hunger have an impact on Children’s health?
While the thought of any child going hungry is heartbreaking, pediatricians and public health professionals see the effects of food insecurity on the bodies and minds of children. Hungry children are sick more often, and more likely to have to be hospitalized (the costs of which are passed along to the community); hungry children suffer growth impairment that precludes their reaching their full physical potential; and hungry children incur developmental impairments that limit their physical, intellectual and emotional development.
Additionally, Child Hunger is an Educational Problem. Hungry children ages 0-3 years cannot learn as much, as fast, or as well because chronic under-nutrition harms their cognitive development during this critical period of rapid brain growth, actually changing the fundamental neurological architecture of the brain and central nervous system. Hungry children often perform poorly in school and have lower academic achievement because they are not well prepared for school and cannot concentrate; and hungry children have more social and behavioral problems because they feel bad, have less energy for complex social interactions, and cannot adapt as effectively to environmental stresses.
Source: Child Food Insecurity: The Economic Impact on our Nation 2009
Is food insecurity always related to income?
Not always, although poverty does play a large role in hunger. Other factors that could play a part of food insecurity are:
- Food availability: access to sufficient quantities of food available on a consistent basis.
- Food access: having sufficient resources to obtain appropriate foods for a nutritious diet.
- Food use: appropriate use based on knowledge of basic nutrition and care.
How is the face of hunger changing?
When the recession began, the number of people looking for food assistance jumped. The need for help continues to grow, but now we see people who have never needed help before. Their hours or pay has been cut and they are taking advantage of food banks so that they can keep up with rent and utilities. Seniors, too, are facing the brutal choice of paying for life-sustaining medication or getting enough to eat. Hunger is often associated with homelessness, but the reality is that people who experience hunger are young and old, suburban and urban, working and non-working. One in six children in America live at the poverty line – which the federal government defines as a having income below $22,050 for a family of four. About 30 percent of the food distributed by River City Food Bank goes to feed children.
Does food assistance encourage dependence?
The assistance given by River City Food Bank is intended to foster self-sufficiency, by helping someone get through a rough time. Many of the people who seek our help have been keeping their heads above water until recently. Three-day emergency food supplies from River City Food Bank can help people get by, so that they can remain independent. A little help, and a little compassion, can make a big difference.
What does RCFB provide to people who are looking for food assistance?
A family or individual who reports income at or below the poverty line can receive a three-day supply of nutritionally-balanced food up to once a month from our Midtown location between 11:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. each weekday. Families with small children also receive non-food items such as diapers, baby food and formula.
Who is eligible to receive food assistance from RCFB?
Anyone who lives in Sacramento County and reports that they or their dependents are living at or below the federal poverty line. Adults are asked to show photo identification and medical IDs or birth certificates for all dependents.
