Richland County Local Food Banks
- Master’s Hands, Inc. – (618) 838-8677
- Good Samaritan – (618) 395-8152
Hunger in America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks and the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Together, we provide food to more than 46 million people through food pantries and meal programs across America. Feeding America works directly with major manufacturers, retailers, and other partners across the country to secure safe, healthy food that would otherwise go to waste.
That’s how for every dollar you give, the Feeding America network of food banks helps provide 10 meals to people in need.
1 in 6 people in the U.S. faces hunger – including 1 in 5 children. Give today and help us end hunger in America.
Child Hunger
Food insecurity is harmful to all people, but it is particularly devastating to children. Proper nutrition is critical to a child’s development. Not having enough of the right kinds of food can have serious implications for a child’s physical and mental health, academic achievement and future economic prosperity.
In the United States today, nearly 16 million children face hunger. Consequently, one in five kids are facing greater obstacles to reaching their fullest potential. The future of America lies in our children. When hunger threatens the future of a child, it threatens the future of our nation as well.
- 84 Percent of client households with children report purchasing the cheapest food available, even if they knew it wasn’t the healthiest option, in an effort to provide enough food for their household.
- Among Feeding America client households with children, nearly 9 in 10 households (89 percent) are food insecure.
As a leading charity organization, Feeding America is dedicated to helping solve the child hunger problem. Our network of community food banks serves an estimated 12 million or more children.
Hunger and Poverty
Hunger and poverty often go hand in hand, but poverty is not the ultimate determinant of food insecurity. People living above the poverty line are often at risk of hunger as well. Research demonstrates that unemployment, rather than poverty, is a better predictor of food insecurity among people living in the United States.
The most recent government data collected show that in 2013,
- 45.3 million people (15 percent) were in poverty, including 14.7 million (20 percent) children under the age of 18.
- 49.1 million Americans lived in food-insecure households, including nearly 16 million children.
According to the Feeding America Hunger in America 2014 study,
- Based on annual income, 72 percent of all Feeding America client households live at or below 100 percent of the federal poverty line.
- The median annual household income of Feeding America clients is $9,175.
- More than half of client households (54 percent) report at least one employed person at some point in the past year.
“Feeding America.” Feeding America. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 June 2015.