It is disturbing that the United States continues to be plagued by a persistence of hunger. The U.S. Department of Agriculture found in 2002 that 11.1% of US household were "food insecure" because of lack of resources. Of the 12.1 million households that were food insecure, 3.8 million suffered from food insecurity that was so severe that the USDA's classified them as "hungry" When we use the word "hunger", it refers to the involuntary lack of access to sufficient food due to poverty.

Fortunately in the United States, we have many established programs which provide a safety net for many low income families. The STUFH (Students Team Up - Fight Hunger) Food Program has raised over 250,000 pounds of foodstuffs since it's inception in 1999. In a recent National Survey of Emergency Feeding Program, Hunger in America 2001, America's Second Harvest found that their food bank network of emergency food providers served 23 million people in a year and more than 9 million of those served were children. Catholic Charities USA, the nation's largest private human service organization, provided food services to 3,929,387 people in the year 2000 including 1,720,448 served through food banks and pantries, 734,678 in soup kitchens, 626,213 in congregate dining, 144,112 through home delivered meals, and 683,936 through other food services.

While starvation seldom occurs in this nation, children and adults do go hungry and chronic malnutrition does occur when financial resources are low. Households that are classified as hungry are those in which adults have decreased the quality and quantity of food they consume because of lack of money to the point where they are likely to be hungry on a frequent basis. Due to a combination of cuts in public welfare programs and difficult economic times, many communities across the country have experienced an enormous increase in the demand for emergency food, often among families with children.

According to the results of the Census Bureau Survey, those at greatest risk of being hungry live in households that are; headed by a single mother; Hispanic or Black; or incomes below the poverty line.

The US Conference of Mayors in December 2003 reported that requests for emergency food assistance increased in 88% of cities surveyed. In these cities, requests increased an average of 17%.

The ability to obtain enough food for an active healthy life is the most basic of human needs. In 2002, 34.9 million people lived in household experiencing food insecurity, compared to 33.6 million in 2001 and 31 million in 1999.

While many Americans live from paycheck to paycheck, it is unconscionable that for many Americans, their basic food supply won't last until their next paycheck. Many Americans put off paying a bill to buy food. Many Americans do not eat for an entire day because they can't afford food. Many others decrease the size of meals or skip meals altogether because they cannot afford food.

Some physicians have discovered that their diabetic patients had quit taking insulin because they could not afford food.

Approximately 4 million American children under age 12 go hungry and about 9.6 million children are at risk for hunger according to estimates based on a comprehensive study on childhood hunger in the United States released in 1995 by the Community Childhood Hunger Identification Project.

Do we want a society where a little girl does not have breakfast because it's her sister's turn that day?

According to a 1996 report by the Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy, the number of hungry Americans grew from 20 million to 30 million between 1985 and 1990, an increase of 50%. A 1997-1998 report from the US Department of Agriculture says that the now number has risen to 36 million of which 14 million are children.

Economic booms are beneficial to our entire nation but often fail to reach some of the poorest Americans. A strong economy has little positive impact on hunger and homelessness.

About 19 million Americans living in 8.2 households received food stamps each month in the year 2002.

The richest, most powerful nation in the world should not permit any of it's citizens to be victims of the debilitating effects of chronic hunger.