New Report Finds More than 21 Percent of All Children in Tennessee Don't Have Consistent Access to Meals
November 15 2007 - 1:51PM
PR Newswire (US)
America's Second Harvest Issues New Report on Children Facing
Hunger CHICAGO, Nov. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In Tennessee
more than 21 percent of all children live in food insecure
households, which means they do not always know where they will
find their next meal. Tennessee has the seventh highest rate of
child food insecurity in the nation. In the United States overall,
one out of six children in small towns and big cities lives in a
food insecure household. According to the United States Department
of Agriculture (USDA), 12 million children in the United States
live in this condition -- unable to consistently access nutritious
and adequate amounts of food necessary for a healthy life. That's
enough children to fill every seat in all of the professional
league football, baseball, basketball and hockey stadiums and every
Division One NCAA basketball stadium across the country at the same
time. Now, for the first time, the extent of child hunger as
reported by the USDA has been examined by state in a new study
released today by America's Second Harvest--The Nation's Food Bank
Network and sponsored by ConAgra Foods Foundation. In 12 states --
nearly one quarter of the country -- more than 20 percent of the
children live in households without consistent access to food.
"Next time you're in a classroom, look around and think about what
this means in these states with particularly high numbers," said
Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of America's Second Harvest. "In
some states this means four or five students in a classroom of 20
kids do not consistently get the nourishment they need to grow and
thrive." Researcher John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center
and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized
expert on child hunger, conducted the analysis. The states with the
highest rates of child food insecurity are Texas and New Mexico,
where more than 24 percent of all children are at risk of hunger.
The other states with child hunger rates above 20 percent are:
California, Idaho, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma,
Oregon and Utah. Washington, D.C. also has a child food insecurity
rate above 20 percent. "This study shows pockets of vulnerability
which will help America's Second Harvest and the ConAgra Foods
Foundation's 'Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow' partnership develop
an overall strategy to end child hunger in America," said Escarra.
"Identifying areas of greatest need can help in targeting Food
Stamp program outreach efforts, placement of Kids Cafes and
BackPack programs, grants and the expansion of Summer Food Service
program sites." "We hope this new report is a wake-up call for all
Americans," continued Escarra. "The tragedy of child hunger in
America, and the terrible toll it exacts, cannot be overstated.
This report shows that child hunger is not a rare event -- is not
limited to the inner-city or hardscrabble rural areas. Child hunger
exists in every state, and in nearly every community. We hope that
people will be motivated to help end this crisis." Child Food
Insecurity in the United States: 2003 -- 2005 analyzes data
collected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Economic Research Service (ERS) over a three-year period. The USDA
has collected data on domestic food insecurity since 1995, but has
not analyzed it to determine specifically the number of children
living in food insecure households by state. The state-by-state
study was sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation as part of its
"Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow" program focused on child hunger
and nutrition education. ConAgra Foods is a major donor to
America's Second Harvest, whose network of food banks and
food-rescue organizations serves 25 million Americans every year.
The ConAgra Foods Foundation program is the largest corporate
initiative solely dedicated to fighting hunger through America's
Second Harvest. ConAgra Foods contributed more than $20 million in
funding to America's Second Harvest since 1999. The ConAgra Foods
Foundation has donated four trucks to member food banks in
Tennessee to help with the transportation of donated food. They
have provided grants to open seven Kids Cafes in Tennessee, which
are after-school programs that offer food and a safe haven for
children in need nationwide. "Child hunger affects all of society.
Children who aren't eating regularly and healthfully have a tougher
time in school, and don't develop and grow as they should," said
Chris Kircher, president of the ConAgra Foods Foundation. "This
study reminds us that child hunger is in every community in this
country and we can all help in some way to alleviate this tragedy."
"We hope that more people will do more to help throughout the
holiday season and all year long," said Kircher. "People can donate
funds and food to their local food banks or they can volunteer at a
food bank, Kids Cafe or Backpack Program." "It is a real eye-opener
to see that so many states have such high rates of child food
insecurity and hunger," said Dr. Cook. "Lack of adequate and
nutritious food can have devastating effects on a child's
development -- both physically and mentally. If a child is impaired
at an early age, sometimes that damage can never be reversed -- and
the child never becomes the adult that he or she should and could
have been, simply because he or she went hungry as a child." To
access the study, please go to:
http://www.secondharvest.org/learn_about_hunger/methodology.pdf. An
interactive map showing child food insecurity state by state is at:
http://www.secondharvest.org/childhunger. America's Second Harvest
-- The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable
domestic hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through
its network of more than 200 member food banks, America's Second
Harvest annually provides assistance to more than 25 million people
in need, including more than 9 million children and nearly 3
million seniors in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and
Puerto Rico. Each year, America's Second Harvest secures and
distributes more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products
to support feeding programs at approximately 50,000 local
charitable agencies, including food pantries, soup kitchens,
emergency shelters, after-school programs, and Kids Cafes. To learn
more, please visit http://www.secondharvest.org/. ConAgra Foods
Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food
companies, serving consumer grocery retailers, as well as
restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra
Foods consumer brands include Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters,
Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville
Redenbacher's, PAM and many others. For more information, visit
http://www.conagrafoods.com/. ConAgra Foods Feeding Children Better
program is the nation's largest corporate initiative dedicated
solely to fighting child hunger. The Feeding Children Better
program has funded the startup of more than 250 new Kids Cafes,
supported technology and transportation programs for the America's
Second Harvest Network of food banks (including the purchase of 167
trucks for food banks), and sponsored the Ad Council child hunger
campaign. Feeding Children Better is funded by ConAgra Foods, Inc.,
one of North America's largest packaged food companies. For more
information, visit http://www.conagrafoods.com/ DATASOURCE:
America's Second Harvest CONTACT: Ross Fraser of America's Second
Harvest, +1-312-641-6422 Web Site: http://www.conagrafoods.com/
http://www.secondharvest.org/
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