Hunger Data
- 17 million children in the US are living in food insecure households. 4 Nord, et al. Household Food Security in the United States, 2009. USDA ERS: 2010.
- The USDA reports that nearly one in four children in the United States are living in a food insecure household or a household where the members are unable “to consistently access the adequate amount of nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. Households with children experience food insecurity at significantly higher rates than the population in general: 21.3% of households with children are characterized as food insecure versus 14.7% of all households. 44 Nord, et al. Household Food Security in the United States, 2009. USDA ERS: 2010.
- 28.2% of the children in Texas are food insecure according the recent Map, the Meal Gap study, by Feeding America. Texas ranked 5th highest in the US.
- In the same study the rate of food insecurity for children in select Texas Panhandle counties was as follows:
- Potter 30.1%
- Randall 20.9%
- Deaf Smith 30.8%
- Donley 23.8%
- Dallam 21.9%
- Hutchinson 27.2%
- Childress 31.7%
- Hall 32.5%
- Moore 26.0%
- Swisher 26.2%
- Gray 30.1%
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx
- To qualify for free lunch a family of 4 makes less than $29,055 and for reduce lunch a family of 4 makes less than $41,348 http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/governance/notices/iegs/IEGs11-12.pdf
- In Amarillo ISD 64% of the children are on free or reduced lunch
- In Hereford ISD 76% of the children are on free or reduced lunch
- In our pilot program in 2010-11 12-20% of the kids on free and reduced lunch needed the backpack program. (just because you are on f/r lunch does not automatically qualify the child for a Snack Pak)
- Currently we feed 2350 kids in 34 AISD elementary schools and 2 middle schools.
- In Bushland over 70 kids in the district receive a Snack Pak.
- In Hereford over 185 kids receive a Snack Pak.
- Tulia has identified over 80 elementary kids who receive a Snack Pak.
- Clarendon, River Road, Walcott, Lockney, and Fritch ISD also participate in the program.