Second harvest

America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network is the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the country addressing the problem of domestic hunger by distributing over 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery product annually to more than 25 million low-income hungry people in the United States, including 9 million children and nearly 3 million seniors. Learn more on how we work .

Everyday in theUnited States, many families have to make difficult choices when it comes to the basic necessities of food, shelter, healthcare, and childcare. All too often, sacrifices have to be made that not only affect the health and development of families but also take a toll on their quality of life. Although there is no official definition, low-income is defined among some research organizations as twice the federal poverty threshold. Below are some statistics regarding the situation low-income families face in America.

Food Insecurity | Employment | Household Income | Parental Education | Healthcare | Housing | Childcare

Food Insecurity

· 3 million low-income households with children under 18 were food insecure (low food security and very low food security) in 2005.[1]

· 17.7% of low-income households with seniors were food insecure (low food security and very low food security) in 2005. [2]

· 5.7 million (33.2%) low-income households with incomes below 130% of the poverty line were food insecure (low food security and very low food security) in 2005.[3]

· 1 in 4 low-income households with one full-time, full-year worker is food insecure and similarly housing insecure[4]

· 70.3% of all clients served by America's Second Harvest Network are food insecure, 33.3% of all clients are food insecure with hunger[5]

· 42% of households served by the America 's Second Harvest Network report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities or heating fuel[6]

· Among client households with children younger than age 18 served by America's Second Harvest Network, 41.8% were food insecure without hunger and 31.3% were food insecure with hunger[7]

· Among client households with seniors age 65 years or older served by America's Second Harvest Network, 35.8% were food insecure without hunger and 16.2% were food insecure with hunger[8]

Employment

· 54% of children in low-income families have at least one parent who works full-time and year-round[9]