1 in 8 Vermont Households are Hungry
USDA Report shows that Vermont now ranks 6th hungriest in the nation 

November 17, 2009 (Burlington, VT) – Hunger is escalating in Vermont faster than in most other states, according to a new report released yesterday. Over 14,000 Vermont households (1 in 20) are suffering the most severe form of hunger, where adults frequently go without food. This number has tripled since 2000, putting Vermont 6th in the nation, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) annual report. Meal programs and food pantries are overwhelmed with requests, often by people who used to donate food and now must ask for help. “In these hungry households, children are not reaching their educational potential, elders are not getting the nutrition they need, and parents are risking their own health to make sure they provide for their children, - this is truly a travesty,” reports Marissa Parisi, Executive Director of the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger.  

As the recession has deepened, the number of Vermont households struggling to meet basic needs has increased since this USDA study was completed in December 2008. The nutrition programs that feed children in child care, school, afterschool and during the summer are increasingly important in providing the nutritious food many families cannot afford. Another federal nutrition program, 3SquaresVT (formerly food stamps), is now at an all time high with more than 1 in 8 Vermonters participating. Many more, especially seniors, are eligible. 3SquaresVT strengthens the Vermont economy by more than $10 million per month.  

An afterschool program in Newport is seeing more and more children who depend on school lunch as their only reliable meal. The director of this program often hears, “my mom can’t go to the store until the beginning of the month.” This child is living the stark reality of the growing hunger indicated by the USDA report.  

Senator Patrick Leahy said, “Hunger is a reality for far too many children in America, and I am gratified that the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Nutrition has decided to make it a priority to expand and improve our childhood hunger and nutrition programs. An economic downturn like this starkly reveals the importance of the hunger relief programs in the federal safety net, and it also shows us that the need is greater than the current capacity.  We must make new investments in the health of children, particularly in light of USDA’s findings that nearly 15 percent of all households are not getting the basic nutrition these children and these families need.  Even in Vermont, where hunger relief has long been a high priority, more of our families are slipping into hunger.  This is a heartbreaking snapshot, and we know we must do better.” 

The full report can be read at: Household Food Security in the US 2008 

PRESS CONTACT: Dorigen Keeney, Director of Public Policy and Research at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger at 802-865-0255 or . 

About the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger: The Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger is a statewide nonprofit organization that works with state agencies and community groups to develop sustainable hunger solutions. Since 1993 the Campaign’s outreach programs have substantially enhanced Vermont’s nutrition safety net and increased access to nutritious foods. www.vtnohunger.org

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