1 in 6 Americans goes hungry

[Heracles 417]

By David Goldman, CNNMoney.com staff writer

Last Updated: November 16, 2009: 3:32 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of Americans that have trouble putting food on the table shot up last year in an unprecedented spike to a record 17 million households, the government reported on Monday.

The Department of Agriculture report, which has been released annually since 1995, said the number of Americans that were hungry rose to 14.6%. In 2007, 13 million households or 11.1% of Americans had trouble getting enough food.

The one-year jump is all the more significant, given the number of hungry Americans had never been higher than 11.9% since these surveys began.

Of the near-15% of the nation that couldn't secure enough food last year, the USDA said one-third of them had "very low food security," meaning they reduced the amount that they ate or disrupted their eating patterns during the year. That group made up 5.7% of all U.S. households, which was also a record high.

More than 500,000 households that scaled back the amount that they ate were households with children, making up 1.3% of all U.S. homes with children.

The USDA said the main cause of hunger and food insecurity in the country is poverty.

Obama's call to action. President Obama called the report "unsettling," and said more needs to be done.

"My Administration is committed to reversing the trend of rising hunger," Obama said in a statement. "The first task is to restore job growth, which will help relieve the economic pressures that make it difficult for parents to put a square meal on the table each day. But we are also taking targeted steps to prevent Americans from experiencing hunger."

Obama urged Congress to pass a "strong" child nutrition bill to help ensure that American children don't go hungry.

To combat the nation's rapidly growing hunger problem, the Recovery Act allocated $20 billion to the nation's food stamp program, and hundreds of millions of dollars to food banks and school lunch programs.

One recipient of stimulus funds was the USDA's Emergency Food Assistance Program, which was allocated an additional $150 million from the $787 billion economic stimulus plan.

The 28-year old program, known as TEFAP, sends shipments of federally purchased food to states, which in turn gets the food in the hands of large food banks. The food banks then allocate the food to soup kitchens and pantries that serve people in need. The $150 million for TEFAP provided by stimulus about doubled the amount of money already allotted to the program this year.

Feeding America, a network of more than 200 food banks that advocates in Washington for food assistance programs, said its member food banks reported a 30% increase in the number of people seeking assistance earlier this year, and 72% of food banks had been unable to adequately meet demand before the stimulus bill was enacted. To top of page

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Edited November 17, 2009 by Booyah!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I'll be happy to buy you a burger at McDonalds if you are hungry. Or would you prefer a burger and a blooming onion at the Outback?

[Heracles 417]

I'll be happy to buy you a burger at McDonalds if you are hungry. Or would you prefer a burger and a blooming onion at the Outback?

Is that right after you fix up the crappy big dig? Do you even have any sky scrapers in Boston or just shitty weather?

Nonetheless, I thought you would have nothing to say for yourself. Disgrace.

Speaking for those from other first world countries, "I pity the fool".

Edited November 17, 2009 by Booyah!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I'll be happy to buy you a burger at McDonalds if you are hungry. Or would you prefer a burger and a blooming onion at the Outback?

I thought you would have nothing to say for yourself.

Disgrace.

I'm only trying to help you out. You are so ungrateful, no wonder why you don't have any friends.

Come to Boston and see for yourself. Your wife is never going to move to Australia. You're stuck here. Do your part to make it better instead of whining about it everyday.

[Heracles 417]

I'm only trying to help you out. You are so ungrateful, no wonder why you don't have any friends.

Being that you are in construction, I highly doubt your shitty business is doing well. Hence, it is I that will be buying you a meal.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Speaking for those from other first world countries, "I pity the fool".

Pity the fool that lives here and cries about it all the time?

[Heracles 417]

Come to Boston and see for yourself. Your wife is never going to move to Australia. You're stuck here. Do your part to make it better instead of whining about it everyday.

No offense but how many people from Boston could afford a studio apartment in Sydney?

Edited November 17, 2009 by Booyah!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

I'm only trying to help you out. You are so ungrateful, no wonder why you don't have any friends.

Being that you are in construction, I highly doubt your shitty business is doing well. Hence, it is I that will be buying you a meal.

My shitty business is mine and fine. Something you will never have for yourself.

[Heracles 417]

Pity the fool that lives here and cries about it all the time?

Who is crying? Just kicking losers like yourself who are down.

My shitty business is mine and fine. Something you will never have for yourself.

Don't need to. I own property worth more than 10 blocks of Boston. Not to mention, not exactly a city renowned for tourism.

Edited November 17, 2009 by Booyah!

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Come to Boston and see for yourself. Your wife is never going to move to Australia. You're stuck here. Do your part to make it better instead of whining about it everyday.

No offense but how many people from Boston could afford a studio apartment in Sydney?

Probably most of my employees could. And Ernie Boch could buy half the city.

Pity the fool that lives here and cries about it all the time?

Who is crying? Just kicking losers like yourself who are down.

My shitty business is mine and fine. Something you will never have for yourself.

Don't need to. I own property worth more than 10 blocks of Boston.

You aren't capable of running a business. You need to be told what to do. That's the difference between us. You own nothing. You are here because your wife will never move to Australia.

[Heracles 417]

Probably most of my employees could. And Ernie Boch could buy half the city.

Yeah I see what you mean, with all of those huge projects going on in Boston. Like two of the world's tallest apartment buildings. Oh wait, they're in Aus. My bad..

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Probably most of my employees could. And Ernie Boch could buy half the city.

Yeah I see what you mean, with all of those huge projects going on in Boston. Like two of the world's tallest apartment buildings. Oh wait, they're in Aus. My bad..

I own a construction business. You don't. Next.

[Heracles 417]

You aren't capable of running a business. You need to be told what to do. That's the difference between us. You own nothing. You are here because your wife will never move to Australia.

I see I see. Must be why I am employed by a fortune 500 firm.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

You aren't capable of running a business. You need to be told what to do. That's the difference between us. You own nothing. You are here because your wife will never move to Australia.

I see I see. Must be why I am employed by a fortune 500 firm.

Key word, employed. Big deal.

[Heracles 417]

I own a construction business. You don't. Next.

My family is in property and construction. My brother is an executive for one of the largest construction companies in Aus. His one project is probably worth more than your entire company. Next

He's around your age. However he doesn't to mail order brides.

Edited November 17, 2009 by Booyah!