USDA Study Diminishes the Condition of Hunger That Millions of Americans Face Every Day
A Statement From Vicki Escarra, President & CEO of America’s Second Harvest—The Nation’s Food Bank Network
CHICAGO, November 17, 2006 —“Earlier this week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) changed classifications regarding food security in the United States from ‘food insecurity’ and ‘food insecurity with hunger’ to ‘low food security’ and ‘very low food security’—removing any mention of hunger.
“Words have meaning, and meaning matters. Referring to the state in which individuals and families do not have access to adequate food as anything other than hunger is simply demeaning. As the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the United States, our food banks and the agencies they serve see more than 25 million Americans each year who are suffering from a condition in which they need emergency food assistance. Millions of these people are experiencing hunger.
“I urge USDA and our leaders in Congress to work with the America’s Second Harvest Network and our hunger-relief partners to provide appropriate recognition to a devastating reality by restoring the use of hunger in the national food insecurity classifications.”
“For more information on the USDA’s “Household Food Security in the United States, 2005” please visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/Publications/ERR29/ERR29.pdf. For more information on Hunger in America, please visit www.hungerinamerica.org.”
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America's Second Harvest–The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country with a Network of more than 200 Member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. For more on the America's Second Harvest Network, please visit www.secondharvest.org.
Contact:
MAURA
DALY
Office: 312.641.6421
Cell: 301.943.3733
ROSS
FRASER
Office: 312.641.6422
Cell: 312.307.8470
