Hunger Myths versus Facts

MYTHS

FACTS

Hunger isn't a problem in Montana

In fact, over 200,000 households received emergency food through the Montana Food Bank Network's network of agencies last year. Nearly half of these people are children. They are not hungry because they want a snack;
They are hungry because they don't have food.

I can't do anything about hunger in Montana.

Donations to the Montana Food Bank Network enable us to help the many agencies across Montana to help dispense food to those in need.

If people would just go to work they wouldn't need help with food.

Almost 40 percent of people living in poverty HAVE jobs, but still do not earn enough money to provide food for their families.

With a median annual income of $23,000 (near the bottom of the nation), Montana reported the 2nd highests rate of increase in childhood poverty in America.

By learning to create nutritious meals, you will not only be able to help yourself and your family to stay healthy, but you can involve your family, schoolmates, and friends in creating nutritious meals for donation to your local food pantry to help others because more healthy.

For every 100 Montanans, 16 live at or below the government established poverty level.

The Montana Food Bank Network's agencies distributed over 130,000 food boxes feeding over 282,259 hungry Montanans.

In 2002, the Montana Food Bank Network supplemented local agencies with nearly 5 million pounds of food. From Conner to Culbertson, Ekalaka to Eureka, you name a food organization and we probably have them on our list
-or we should have.

"Hunger will be eliminated
when people come together to help each other.
People need to take an active role in changing politics and society, but first, they need to change themselves and their own hearts."

Representative Tony P. Hall

U.S. Congress - Democratic Task Force on Hunger

Hunger in America 2006 is the fifth national study of charitable response to domestic hunger. Hunger in America 2006 is a further expansion of those earlier projects and will be one of the largest and most innovative studies of this type ever undertaken. Each state will receive state and local reports that can help serve as strategic planning tools and help with future fundraising efforts. To view the Hunger in America 2006 survey results click HERE.

The Hunger in America 2006 study is comprised of two separate surveys. The first is a survey of agencies that receive food from America âs Second Harvest food banks. The Montana Food Bank Network is the only America âs Second Harvest food bank in Montana , and it serves 144 local food agencies state-wide. The agency survey measures the types of services offered by agencies (food related support, training and assistance, and other client direct services); the amount of food distributed and number of clients seeking assistance. The second component is a survey of clients who obtain groceries and/or meals at programs sponsored by the 144 agencies affiliated with the Montana Food Bank Network. The client survey collects information about household demographics, employment, participation in public assistance programs, and measures food security by asking about frequency and causes for skipping meals.

Key Objectives:

1. Describe the incidence and nature of hunger and food insecurity in the U.S. as experienced by low-income clients of America âs Second Harvest network.

2. Compare data from earlier America âs Second Harvest research studies to identify trends in the demand for emergency food.

3. Provide demographic profiles of the emergency food assistance clients of local agencies and analyze the ability of these agencies to meet the food security needs of these clients.

4. Compare data on the characteristics of low-income clients and the agencies that serve them as a way of describing the charitable response to hunger throughout the nation.

For more information please contact Kate Bradford,
Director of Advocacy,
Montana Food Bank Network,
406-721-3825,
kbradford@montanafoodbanknetwork.org