Hunger ReliefFast Facts

• 15 million, or approximately 20 percent, of children in the United States live in poverty.

• According to USDA estimates, 9 million, or 20 percent of households with children under age 18, were food-insecure in 2013.

• Research indicates that even mild under-nutrition during critical periods of growth impacts the behavior of young children, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development.

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an estimated 20 million children lived in food-insecure households in 2013, an increase of 15 percent over 2012. [USDA/ERS, Household Food Security in the United States]

• 30 percent of client households with seniors had to choose between buying food and paying for utilities and heating fuel. [Hunger in America 2013]

• Nearly half of all non-elderly

low-income families that used a food pantry last year were working families with children. [Urban Institute, Many Families Turn to Food Pantries for Help]

• 70 percent of all client households served by the Feeding America Network have annual incomes below the federal poverty line for 2013.

• It is estimated that during 2013,

42 million people lived in households that at some time were unable to acquire enough food because of insufficient money.

• Overall, households with children had more than twice the rate of food insecurity as those without children.

• It is estimated that 9 million people, including 3 million children, live in homes that experience hunger - where meals are frequently skipped or individuals go without food for a whole day. [U.S. Department of Agriculture, Household Food Security in the United States, 2012]

• Millions of poor children suffer from chronic under-nutrition. Nutrient deficiencies can lead to serious health problems, including impaired cognitive development, growth failure, physical weakness, anemia, and stunting. [Tufts University School of Nutrition]

What Southern Baptists are What Southern Baptists are doing about the plight of doing about the plight of Hunger in North America:Hunger in North America:

Over $1.1 million in Domestic Over $1.1 million in Domestic Hunger Funds was distributed to Hunger Funds was distributed to 1,300 hunger ministries in the 1,300 hunger ministries in the U.S. in 2013.U.S. in 2013.

Over 5 million meals were fed to Over 5 million meals were fed to the hungry in North American the hungry in North American with Domestic Hunger Funds.with Domestic Hunger Funds.

The Gospel was shared with over The Gospel was shared with over 1 million people, at their point of 1 million people, at their point of need.need.

There were over 23,000 There were over 23,000 professions of faith through professions of faith through hunger ministries.hunger ministries.