Hunger Initiatives

Programs

We sponsor two programs here at CELTS to help address hunger in our community:

• Hunger Hurts Community Food Drive (fall term)
• Empty Bowls Project (spring term)

What Causes Hunger?

According to Bread for the World there are many reasons why hunger exists in our world.  Here are just a few that are listed on their website:

• Not enough jobs.
• Low wages.  Salaries not enough to lift them out of poverty.
• 23% of the world’s population possesses 85% of the world’s wealth.
• Not enough education.
• Unfair treatment of women.
• Famine and disasters.
• Unfair laws.

World and Domestic Hunger Statistics

• Our world is home to 6.7 billion people.  1.02 billion people in the world a hungry ¹
• In 2008, 14.6 percent of US households suffered from food insecurity.  This was up from 11.1 percent in 2007.  This is the highest recorded prevalence rate since 1995 when the first food security survey was conducted.²
• In 2007, an average of 26.5 million people used food stamps each month. ³

Local Statistics

• In 2005, 3,426 Madison County children (21 percent) lived in poverty.  The number increased to 22.6 percent in 2007.⁴
• Kentucky’s participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) increased by 11,793 people from September to October 2009.  The total number of people now receiving SNAP benefits is 752,244, which is 82,653 more people than this time last year, marking a 12.3 percent increase.⁵

Additional Sources

• “Are We On Track to End Hunger? Hunger Report 2004”.  Bread for the World Institute. 2004  www.bread.org
• “2008 Kentucky KIDS Count Data Book”, a Project of Kentucky Youth Advocates and Kentucky Population Research, University of Louisville, www.kyyouth.org
• “World Development Indicators 2008”.  The World Bank.  February 2008

Footnotes

¹ State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2008 FAO.  “Food Security Statistics”.  www.fao.org

² http://www.ers.usda.gov

³ “Food Stamp Program Average Monthly Participation.” USDA Food and Nutrition Service. February 2008.

⁴ www.kyyouth.org and www.ers.usda.gov

⁵ www.kyyouth.org.   Assessed 11/24/09.