Children in every county in America struggle with having enough to eat; nearly one in four children is food insecure.
Map the Meal Gap
In August, 2011, Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and Feeding America released a new study which revealed that children are struggling with hunger in every county and congressional district in America. The new study revealed that approximately 21% of children under the age of 18, more than 137,000 children, are struggling with hunger in the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s 27-county service area. Throughout the commonwealth, more than 588,000 children are food insecure. The study revealed that there are children struggling with hunger in every county in America. Nationally, while one in six Americans overall is food insecure, the rate for children is much higher: nearly one in four children is food insecure. Click to view the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011 Study
Hunger in America 2010 Project
In 2009, the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, in conjunction with Feeding America, also participated in a national project that focused on surveying those who are hungry in America. The national study is based on completed in-person interviews with more than 61,000 clients served by the FA national network, as well as on completed questionnaires from more than 37,000 FA agencies. These results provide a snapshot about the people who struggle to find food in our local communities:
- 34% of those served by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank are children under the age of 18.
- 8% of those served are under the age of 5.
- 63% of those served are under the federal poverty level.
- 44% of those served said they had to choose between buying food and paying for utilities or heat.
You can download the entire Hunger in America 2010 project report or receive a copy by calling Agency Relations at 717-564-1700.