According to a February 2010 study by Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the country, one in eight people living in the United States sought emergency food relief in 2009. Nearly half of food bank clients reported having to choose between buying food and paying for utilities or heat, yet more than one-third of these households have at least one adult who works.
Thirty-nine percent of food relief clients choose between rent or a mortgage payment and food, an increase of 59 percent over 2006 figures. When it comes to choosing between medical bills or transportation and food, the numbers are similar: 34 and 35 percent, respectively.
Food insecurity and hunger is growing across the United States, the wealthiest country in the world. Seventy-nine percent of households with children served by Feeding America are food insecure, meaning they do not always know where they will find their next meal. The number of children seeking food assistance has increased by 50 percent since 2006.
