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Hunger: Who
is Hungry and Why? |
Learn about Hunger in
America
America's Second Harvest, the nation's Food Bank Network has launched a new
interactive website which provides highlights of the recently completed
Hunger In America 2006 study. Visit
www.hungerinamerica.org, to obtain national, state and local information
on hunger.
Read how our charities
speak about those they serve.
In their own words…
 | Over 100,000 people in Monmouth
and Ocean counties live on incomes that put them at risk of hunger at some
time each month. |
| 40% of them are children, 10%
elderly. Adults are working poor or in a crisis situation. |
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Poverty
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Poverty is a major cause of
hunger. In the last decade, while personal income increased among the
rich, so did poverty among the poor. Poverty increased from 5% - 6.3% in
Monmouth County, and from 6% - 7% in Ocean County. |
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Between 1990 and 2000, poverty among children increased from 6.5% to
9.9% in Monmouth County, and from 8.8% - 13.3% in Ocean County.
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Cost of Living
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The Federal
poverty level greatly underestimates the extent of poverty and hunger, due
to the high cost of living in our shore area, which is among the highest
in the nation. |
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To afford
the fair market monthly rent of an average two-bedroom apartment ($1,013),
a minimum wage worker would have to work 3 full time jobs, and a worker
earning $7-$8 per hour would have to work two full time jobs. |
Working Poor
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The working poor earn too little
to cover their household's needs for food, shelter, child care,
transportation, and medical expenses. |
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A family of 4 needs an annual
income between $44,000 and $64,000 to be self-sufficient in Monmouth or Ocean
Counties. |
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26% of all households in Monmouth
County and 37% Ocean County earn less than $35,000 annually.
(Census 2000). |
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The number of working poor is
increasing. 74% of the job growth until 2012 will be jobs paying between
$25-39,000 annually; higher paying jobs are declining. |
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40% of all households receiving
emergency food are working poor. |
Families in Crisis
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Households undergoing a crisis
situation make up 60% of all households receiving food. Crises include
loss of job or income, sudden illness and high medical bills or
disability. |
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70% of all emergency food
recipients have no health insurance. |
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Only 5% of emergency food
recipients are homeless. |
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For more information, visit Food Research and Action
Council (www.frac.org),
Legal Services of New Jersey (www.lsnj.org),
and America's Second Harvest (http://www.secondharvest.org)
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