Feeding America - April Food Day 2010

Here are the facts about food and hunger in the U.S.:

•Feeding America is annually providing food to 37 million Americans, including 14 million children. This is an increase of 46 percent over 2006, when we were feeding 25 million Americans, including 9 million children, each year.

•That means one in eight Americans now rely on Feeding America for food and groceries.

•Feeding America's nationwide network of food banks is feeding 1 million more Americans each week than we did in 2006.

•Thirty-six percent of the households served have at least one person working.

•More than one-third of client households report having to choose between food and other basic necessities, such as rent, utilities and medical care.

•The number of children the Feeding America network serves has increased by 50 percent since 2006.

•Feeding America food banks provide food and groceries to 33,500 food pantries, 4,500 soup kitchens and 3,600 emergency shelters.

•68 percent of pantries, 42 percent of soup kitchens, and 15 percent of emergency shelters rely solely on volunteers and have no paid staff.

•55 percent, are faith-based agencies affiliated with churches, mosques, synagogues and other religious organizations; 33 percent are other types of non-profit organizations.

What you can do:  Volunteer at a local food bank, donate to Feeding America, or lend a voice as bloggers are doing today.

Read or listen to Photographer Captures Stark Portraits Of Hunger as reported by NPR on March 30th.