5 Facts About Hunger: And Hunger Could Be Coming To A Home Near You

Hunger Facts:

• One in five children in the USA don't get enough to eat.
• Nearly half of SNAP participants are children.
• Over 46 million Americans, seniors, children, people with disabilities all rely on SNAP to feed themselves or their families.
• The average SNAP benefit is about $1.48 per meal.
• More than two-thirds of the funds in the most recent Farm Bill help feed these hungry kids, seniors and others through Federal Nutrition Programs. And the current Farm Bill wants to cut SNAP subsidies drastically.

SNAP (the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) doesn't just help children. It also helps my daughter Kate and other disabled adults like her buy groceries. But SNAP helps more than just the disabled, it's helps millions of families in need pay for food so that no one goes hungry.

This week as long term unemployment benefits ran out in Pennsylvania and a host of other large states, SNAP is going to have a lot more applicants.  A lot of other hungry people with no where else to go. Our food pantries are more empty than at any other time in recent history.

Hungry? How is it possible in this land of abundance that any man, woman or child goes hungry? It happens...everyday. In a home near you. Unemployment, disabilities, underemployment, all leave families and individuals vulnerable and hungry.

Is hunger coming to a home near you? To a neighbor? To a relative? To your home? What would happen if your spouse was suddenly ill and couldn't work? What would happen if suddenly you could no longer provide for yourself and your children? If the federal nutrition program is cut, you'd have nowhere to turn. The food banks are nearly empty.  Charitable giving is at an all time low. You could ... dare I say it...STARVE.

How can you help? Aside from donating at your local food bank, you need to contact the members of Congress in your district. Tell them why you want them to support the Farm Bill and why SNAP is important to you. Visit the web site No Kid Hungry at http://nokidhungry.org/farmbill to share your story with them or make a pledge. Contribute to and support Share Our Strength, a national non-profit, to help them help end childhood hunger in our country by connecting them with nutritious foods so they can lead a productive life. Their No Kid Hungry campaign helps be sure children are in contact with community organizations that fight hunger, it educates families about cooking healthy and affordable meals, and it works in cities near you.  Visit their website at Strength.org for additional information.