by Ariana Pekary, producer
In today’s interview, WhyHunger Executive Director Bill Ayres reminds listeners that we’re in “The Big Recession.” It might not be a depression, but it’s a big recession that’s leaving many Americans unable to feed themselves. A new report out this week, called “Map the Meal Gap,” uses data from the USDA, the 2010 Census and unemployment figures to quantify hunger, county-by-county throughout the nation. This is the point:
“Most people would be shocked to realize the extent of hunger in their own communities,” said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive of Feeding America, the country’s largest hunger-relief organization and the study sponsor. “People tend to think that hunger is ‘over there’ somewhere, but not here, not in my own back yard. But this report shows that simply isn’t true — hunger is everywhere in our nation right now.”
(view the full Washington Post article here)
You may or may not be one of the hungry. If you are, or just want to find out how to help, many resources can be found on the WhyHunger web site: WhyHunger.org
WhyHunger is also on twitter
And lastly, keep the National Hunger Hotline handy for any food emergencies:
1-866-3-HUNGRY