HUMAN RIGHTS »» POVERTY »» HUNGER »» Sep 20, 2021

The USDA defines "food insecurity" as the lack of access, at times, to enough food for all household members. In 2017, an estimated 15 million households affecting 40 million Americans were food insecure. Many of these hungry people are employed. In 2013, about 30% of all adults requesting emergency food assistance had jobs. Organizations that provide food to our poor claim this is nothing new, saying that it is getting harder for many middle-class families to stay self-sufficient. More than 45 million Americans rely on stipends from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to buy food each month. And at least 22 million American children America rely on the free or reduced-price lunch they receive at school. The 8 states that have the highest rates of food insecurity are: Mississippi (18.7%), Louisiana (18.3%), Alabama (18.1%), New Mexico (17.6%), Arkansas (17.5%), Kentucky (17.3%), Maine (16.4%), Oklahoma (15.2%). Our most effective tool against hunger is the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the food stamp program. Proposed Legislation: H.R.1470 - Anti-Hunger Empowerment Act of 2019 Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Nydia Velazquez (NY)