We’ve addressed the recession’s impact on poverty. Hunger is directly related. Nearly 15 percent of U.S. households were defined as “food insecure” in 2011. That means they skipped meals, cut back on the quality and quantity of food, or relied on emergency sources. Food insecurity spiked as the recession took hold in 2007 and has not receded.
Minority households were more than twice as likely to be food insecure as white families.
57 percent of food insecure households said they relied on at least one of the three biggest federal food programs – SNAP (food stamps), WIC (aid to low-income women, infants and children), and reduced-cost or free school lunches.
Check out our infographic for more details. See “What Do Others Say?” for more on hunger in America, then add to the discussion below. What do you think the government’s role should be in addressing this issue? How do you feel about the funding assigned to food programs?
