Hunger Stats

1 in 5 Children in Southwestern Wisconsin Face Hunger

HUNGER STATISTICS

While statistics can’t truly paint the picture of what it feels like to have your eight year old complain that there’s no food in the house, they do tell a story.

Recently the results of an extensive study on hunger were released. They not only help us paint the picture of the people served nationally by our sister food banks in the Feeding America family, but also those served right here in southwestern Wisconsin by Second Harvest.

The study showed that of those we serve:

  • A majority live in a household that brings in less than $20,000 per year.
  • A majority of households have someone that works at least 30 hours per week.
  • Households struggling with hunger have to use a number of ways to make ends meet like relying on cheap and unhealthy food and watering down food and drinks.
  • People without access to enough money have to make tough choices between paying for food or basics like housing, utilities, transportation and medical care.
  • Hunger has a significant impact on health. High blood pressure and higher rates of diabetes result from not having enough healthy food.
  • Hunger knows no race, gender, age, job status or education level.

94 cents of every dollar donated puts food on someones table

 We meet nearly one million requests for service each year.

 Coping strategies of people struggling with hunger.

 

57% of households we serve have someone working at least 30 hours per week

 

 61% of households served by Second Harvest have an income of less than $20,000.

 

1 in 3 households we serve has someone with diabetes.

 

53% of households we serve has a member with high blood pressure