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XX Percent of [State] Residents Lived in Hungry
or Food Insecure Households

[STATE] had [xx] percent of people living in households that were considered to be food insecure from 2003-05, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) annual report released today. Each year, the Census Bureau measures food insecurity through a series of household survey questions about the ability to obtain enough food for an active, healthy life for all members.

To report food insecurity in each state, USDA uses three-year averages to compensate for limited sample sizes and give a better estimate of the number of households experiencing hunger. In 2000-02, xx percent in [state] were considered to be food insecure.

[You may wish to insert a quote here from your organization about the level of food insecurity in your state]

Among the xx percent of [State] households considered to be food insecure, xx percent were living in households that were considered to have “very low food security,” a new USDA term that means one or more people in the household were hungry over the course of the year because they couldn’t afford enough food.

[You can insert an additional quote here, perhaps highlighting the following: Anecdotal evidence about the impact of hunger in the state; your organization and what you’ve done to address hunger in the state; or Stress the importance of Food Stamps for the upcoming Farm Bill]

Nationally, more than 35 million people live in households that are considered to be food insecure. “It is simply unacceptable that after years of economic growth, 35.1 million people in this country face a constant struggle against hunger,” said Jim Weill, president of the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC). “We will be calling on Congress to attack this shameful, national condition with new commitment and new energy.”

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The Food Research and Action Center (www.frac.org) is the leading national organization working for more effective public and private policies to eradicate domestic hunger and undernutrition.