Hunger stats

I pulled these statistics from the Second Harvest Food Bank of NE Tennessee website. There's more information there. I'll try to find some more drilled-down info specific to Kingsport in days to come. The long and the short of it is that more people in our town are hungry than we probably realize or think about on a day-to-day basis.

Many of the people who are most at risk for "food insecurity" are not in a position to attain what we'd consider to be healthy food. Many are at the mercy of others to provide; they are children or seniors who can't get to the grocery store or farmer's market -- or anywhere -- alone. Or they may be adults who are homeless or otherwise without means to attain good food.

We're blessed in Kingsport to have many food pantries and people willing to help, and that's the good news. But the starker picture is that most of us aren't aware of the measure of the problem or how it affects our neighbors.

HOW MANY CLIENTS RECEIVE EMERGENCY FOOD FROM SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE?Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee provides emergency food for an estimated 70,500 different people annually. About 10,900 different people receive emergency food assistance in any given week.

WHO RECEIVES EMERGENCY FOOD ASSISTANCE?34% of households have children under 18 years old, 8% of households have children age 0 to 5 years, 5% of households include the elderly, about 88% of clients are non-Hispanic white, 7% are non-Hispanic black, 4% are Hispanic, the rest are from other racial groups, 21% of households include at least one employed adult, 84% had incomes below the federal poverty level during the previous month, 11% are homeless.

MANY CLIENTS ARE FOOD INSECURE WITH LOW OR VERY LOW FOOD SECURITYAmong all client households served by emergency food programs of Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee 81% are food insecure, according to the U.S. government’s food security scale 44% of the clients have very low food security, among households with children 80% are food insecure and 34% are food insecure with very low food security.

MANY CLIENTS REPORT HAVING TO CHOOSE BETWEEN FOOD AND OTHER NECESSITIES42% of clients had to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel, 27% had to choose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage, 39% had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care, 32% had to choose between paying for food and paying for transportation, 43% had to choose between paying for food and paying for gas for a car.

DO CLIENTS ALSO RECEIVE FOOD ASSISTANCE FROM THE GOVERNMENT?63% of client households receive (SNAP) Benefits; it is likely that many more are eligible. Among households with school-age children 67% and 69% participate in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs, among households with school-age children 12% participate in the summer food program.

MANY CLIENTS ARE IN POOR HEALTH42% of households served has at least one household member in poor health.

WHAT KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE EMERGENCY FOOD PROGRAMS OF THE SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK OF NORTHEAST TENNESSEE?83% of pantries, 75% of kitchens, and 65% of shelters are run by faith-based agencies. Private nonprofit organizations with no religious affiliation make up a large share of other types of agencies.

HAVE AGENCIES WITH EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS REPORTED CHANGES IN THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SEEKING SERVICES?Among programs that existed in 2006, 80% of pantries, 82% of kitchens, and 75% of shelters of The Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee reported there had been an increase since 2006 in the number of clients who come to their emergency food program sites.

WHERE DO AGENCIES WITH EMERGENCY FOOD PROVIDERS OBTAIN THEIR FOOD?Food banks are by far the single most important source of food for agencies with emergency food providers.