How does this affect our own community?
US Stats:
- In 2009, 43.6 million people (14.3 percent) were in poverty and 4.8 percent of all U.S. households (5.6 million households) accessed emergency food from a food pantry
- 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger each year, 1 in 6 live with food insecurity, meaning they lack access to enough food to sustain a healthy lifestyle.
Pennsylvania Stats:
Among households served by food bank programs in central Pennsylvania:
- 34% include children under the age of 18
- 7% are elderly
- 39% include at least 1 employed adult
- 63% have incomes below the federal poverty level
Hunger in PA by Congressional District:
| Congressional District | Food Hardship Rate | PA Rank | USA Rank |
| 1 | 31.2 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 | 21.1 | 2 | 126 |
| 3 | 18.1 | 6 | 240 |
| 4 | 13.1 | 13 | 366 |
| 5 | 18.3 | 4 (t) | 231 |
| 6 | 12.6 | 15 | 378 |
| 7 | 12.9 | 14 | 368 |
| 8 | 10.4 | 19 | 415 |
| 9 | 16.8 | 8 (t) | 284 |
| 10 | 16.9 | 7 | 281 |
| 11 | 18.3 | 4 (t) | 231 |
| 12 | 16.8 | 8 (t) | 284 |
| 13 | 12.2 | 17 | 388 |
| 14 | 19.6 | 3 | 186 |
| 15 | 14.6 | 10 | 329 |
| 16 | 12.4 | 16 | 384 |
| 17 | 14.2 | 12 | 342 |
| 18 | 11.6 | 18 | 398 |
| 19 | 14.4 | 11 | 335 |
*Food Research and Action Center
Hunger in America- 2008 Report
Feeding America-Hunger in America 2010 Report
* the home of Bucknell's hot meal program, Community Harvest
