As a follow-up to a prior post, a press conference was held today at which The U.S. Conference of Mayors and Sodexho, Inc. released the results of the 2007 Hunger and Homelessness Survey (PDF).
This report documents the problem of hunger and homelessness during the period of November 1, 2006 through October 31, 2007 based on information provided by the following U.S. cities -- Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Charlotte, SC; Chicago, IL; Cleveland, OH; Denver, CO; Des Moines, IA; Detroit, MI; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Louisville, KY; Miami, FL; Nashville, TN; Philadelphia, PA; Phoenix, AZ; Portland, OR; Providence, RI; Salt Lake City, UT; San Francisco, CA; Santa Monica, CA; Seattle, WA; St. Paul, MN; and Trenton, NJ.
In summarizing the findings on hunger, the report states (page 10):
Overall, it appears that the need for emergency food assistance programs is continuing to increase and that cities are facing many challenges in responding to the demand for assistance. However, cities are also making progress toward eliminating hunger by increasing capacity at current programs, advocating for funding, and implementing creative responses to the problem.
A link to the complete 2007 report is provided below. This report also contains the questionnaire used in the survey.
Our economic crisis has driven millions of Americans into poverty, and the numbers continue to grow. The numbers of people suffering from hunger – 36 million people in 2007, long before the current economic crisis struck – should serve as a stark reminder of the volatile economic environment we currently live in. In Washington State for example, 42 percent of food stamp recipients are children, and in Alabama 25 percent of children are listed as food insecure. In Indiana, mirroring the national trend, the percentage of children participating in free and reduced-price lunches continues to rise, drastically doing so over the last 7 years. However, millions of families that qualify for assistance are not getting it.
Thankfully, some states are working to boost their participant rates, and they are getting increasingly creative. In New Jersey, a mobile outreach van is crisscrossing Somerset County in order to do just that. The van is equipped with internet access, interview rooms, and allows for people to apply for assistance on the spot. Additionally, Georgia has created a new website that will streamline its social services such as Medicaid, WIC, child care, and energy assistance. This “one-stop-shop” service would be ideal in San Diego and Nevada, where as just mentioned the desire for a streamlined process has been expressed. In Michigan, seniors and disabled people already receiving a Supplemental Security Income (such as Social Security or Medicaid) will be automatically enrolled in a bridge card program that will provide them with an additional $60-100 a month for food.
More states need to be expanding their efforts to enroll participants in programs like food stamps and school breakfast. Not only will it help the millions of American families who suffer from hunger, but it will bring much needed money to the states, most of which faced or are facing budget crises.
Posted by: SeanBart | January 08, 2009 at 09:49 AM