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A landmark study has been released from Feeding America, the nation�s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, reports that 106,600 different Western North Carolinians (one in six) receive emergency food each year through MANNA FoodBank�s network of emergency food providers. The local findings gathered by MANNA are largely aligned with national and North Carolina state data. Hunger in America 2010 is the first study to capture the significant connection between the recent economic downturn and increased emergency food assistance.Many of the people served by Feeding America food banks report they are struggling with unemployment, difficult choices between food and other basic necessities, and the pressures of healthcare costs. Across the US, 1 in 8 people received food help from a food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter served by a Feeding America food bank, while the WNC data shows 1 in 6 sought that help. Important data from the MANNA FoodBank study includes:
* 106,600 different people in Western North Carolina seek food assistance in a single year from emergency food programs served by MANNA FoodBank. �The information in this study confirms stories we hear every day about hardship and hunger in Western North Carolina,� says MANNA FoodBank�s Executive Director Kitty Schaller. �Anecdotes only get us so far. These numbers help to paint the true picture of need in these difficult times � and the response by nonprofits that provide food assistance.� The United States Department of Agriculture reported in November 2009 that an estimated 49 million people, including 17 million children, are at risk of hunger across the nation. Hunger in America 2010 reinforces the dramatically increasing food assistance in the United States. Jim Peterson, an agency monitor volunteer for MANNA FoodBank, says �as I visit MANNA�s network of frontline agencies, I know they face organizational challenges. Hunger in America 2010 shows that in WNC, at least 70 percent of food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters report that they have at least one problem that threatens their ability to continue operating. Problems relating to funds and food supplies were the two most commonly cited threats.� Hunger in America 2010 includes data collected from February through June, 2009. Mathematica, Inc., a highly reputable research organization, was contracted by Feeding America to conduct the study. MANNA staff and volunteers followed Mathematica�s explicit instructions, canvassing 16 counties and gathering information from hundreds of individuals about their requests for emergency food assistance. Hunger in America 2010 reinforces the importance of MANNA FoodBank�s mission to involve, educate, and unite people in the work to end hunger in Western North Carolina. As the numbers of people who continue to request emergency food assistance grow, so too must MANNA FoodBank�s 315 partner agencies� ability to handle this volume. About MANNA FoodBank MANNA FoodBank is a 501c3 non-profit organization serving Western North Carolina since 1982. As an accredited member of Feeding America � The Nation�s Food Bank Network, MANNA serves 315 non-profit member agencies in 16 Western North Carolina counties. In calendar year 2009, MANNA distributed nearly 7.6 million pounds of food to partner agencies � enough food for more than 17,000 meals 365 days a year. For more information on what you can do to help end hunger in Western North Carolina, please visit mannafoodbank.org. About Feeding America Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation�s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit www.feedingamerica.org. (Image provided by Manna Food Bank.)
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