As Thanksgiving nears, the cupboards of millions are bare

From Rick Bella:
Annual USDA Report Finds 35.5 Million Hungry in America as Food Banks Struggle to Stock Shelves: Points Out Critical Need for a Strong Farm Bill

Today, as many of us are planning menus and deciding which holiday gatherings to attend, the United States Department of Agriculture released a sobering reminder that millions of Americans are making decisions between rent, utilities, medicine and the most basic necessity -- food. Its annual study of hunger in America indicates the number of people living at the margins of hunger, struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table, has increased from 35.1 to more than 35.5 million, including 12.6 million children. Remarks from America's Second Harvest CEO Vicki Escarra: "This study is just one more testament to why food banks and hungry Americans need Congress to pass a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill."

More than one in ten Americans is hungry or at risk of hunger. Meanwhile, food banks across teh country are experiencing dramatic declines in food inventory. Many empty shelves were filled with food from the federal government just a short time ago. Surplus food donations, or bonus commodities, from USDA to food banks have declined more that 70 percent in the last three years due to a strong agriculture economy. In 2006, the value of this food support to food banks was down $175 million from 2003. Food banks are also struggling to meet the rising costs of transporting food and groceries.

A continued rise in food prices is also compounding the food shortage. In October, the Associated Press reported the U.S. is currently facing the highest rates of food inflation since 1990, 4.2 percent annually -- twice the rate of overall inflation. The report found that milk prices are up 18 percent since the start of the year; eggs cost 35 percent more than they did a year ago and the USDA estimates overall food price inflation will run 3 percent to 4 percent in 2008.

Strong Farm Bill is Essential for Millions
America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Network of foodbanks is hopeful that some help is on the way this year in the form of a strong nutrition title in the Farm Bill. Nutrition programs funded through the Farm Bill, such as The Food Stamp Program and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are the first line of defense for millions of low - and fixed income Americans. Federal funding for these programs has not kept pace with need since the passage of the last Farm Bill in 2002 and significgant investments must be made to ensure that they are bolstered to reach the people that need them most. Adequately funding TEFAP at $250 million with the amount indexed for inflation in the Farm Bill this year will ensure that food banks can keep up with increasing demands for emergency food assistance. The House passed its version of the Farm Bill in late July with $4.3 billion in new investments for federal nutrition programs, and the Senate is debating the Farm Bill this week.

Hunger is one of the most solvable problems facing the U.S., yet it reaches into every community across the country. The holidays tend to amplify the problem, but the need is truly year round and millions of Americans are living day-to-day dependent on the generosity of strangers. You can help by your donation of food or funds. Visit www.secondharvest.org for more details or contact Rick Bella at 312-641-6507 or email rbella@secondharvest.org