Shocking Report from U.S. Conference Of Mayors > Hunger + Homelessness

The Shocking, Unacceptable Levels of Hunger and Homelessness in American Cities

A new report looks at the issue in 22 cities* around the country between Sept. 1, 2014, and Aug. 31, 2015.
By Kali Holloway / AlterNet         

December 22, 2015

 

Readers please note that more detailed data for Arizona and United Food Bank's service area are included in this post

 

A number of important findings emerged from the survey: 
- Emergency food assistance requests increased
- Unmet requests for emergency food assistance increased
- Food pantries and emergency kitchens had to cut back on the amount of food given out as groceries or meals
- Lack of affordable housing, an issue that continues to worsen in many places around the country, was the primary reason given for homelessness among families with children.
- Poverty, unemployment and low-paying jobs were the reasons that followed.
* It should be noted that, per the paper, “only cities whose mayors are members of the U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Hunger and Homelessness were invited to submit information for the report.”

The nearest location to Mesa included in the survey was Salt Lake City, Utah . .  Curiously enough according to an online report , Salt Lake City's "hunger profile" remains a question. Inexplicably, the survey includes no data on hunger for Salt Lake City, unlike the other 21 participating municipalities [???].
A spokeswoman for City Hall said the Utah Food Bank did not provide the data.
A spokeswoman for the Food Bank, on the other hand, said the agency had not been asked to participate in the survey for some time.

Here in Mesa https://unitedfoodbank.org/  [link to their website] is  the major go-to organization dealing with hunger and what's called "food insecurity". They are very open, accountable and transparent with data:
According to website for AZ Foodbanks , the Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale MSA experienced a 19.2% food hardship rate in 2014 ranking 42nd in the country. 

United Food Bank distributed 22,398,097 pounds of food in the last year.
 
That’s enough food to provide more than 51,100 meals each day.
They provide food to more than 188 partner agencies, including 10 sister food banks.
Their financials and 2014 Annual Report can be found here
Does United Food Bank have enough food to meet the need? . . . No.
On average, United Food Bank is able to fill around 75% of our partner agencies’ requests. This can vary depending on the time of year. While the need doesn’t change – it’s always increasing.
Donations do fluctuate. It's a fact that people donate during the holiday season, because it is seen as a time of giving

What are the hunger statistics for Arizona and United food Bank's service area?
Arizona Hunger Statistics
1 in 4 Children is food insecure
1 in 5 Adults is food insecure
1 in 7 Seniors is food insecure
 
Food Insecurity Within Service Area of the East Valley (Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Gilbert), Gila, Pinal, Southern Navajo and Southern Apache Counties)
225,598 Individuals
93,525 Children
84,493 Households

On average, 28,000 different people are assisted weekly
284 Hunger Relief Programs
535,745 Emergency Food Boxes
20,976,287 Pounds Distributed Last Year
17,480,239 Meals Distributed Last Year

Who United Food Bank Helps
30 % of household members are children under age 18
20 % of household members are seniors
70 % of the families have incomes below the federal poverty level
54 % of the households have someone who is working

Your neighbors served here in the East Valley and surrounding counties currently experience or have experienced some of the following situations in the past 12 months:
65 % report having to choose between buying food and paying for utilities
53 % report having to choose between buying food and paying their rent or mortgage
60 % report having to choose between buying food and paying for medical care
29 % report having to choose between buying food and paying for transportation


For readers of this blog who are not familiar with the no-nonsense news source AlterNet here's some brief information:

AlterNet is an activist news service and a project of the non-profit Independent Media Institute.
Founded in 1998, the news org publishes a combination of policy critiques, investigative reports and analysis, grassroots success stories, and personal narratives.
Its coverage emphasizes the discovery of solutions to social problems, and its editorial philosophy is "to uphold a commitment to fairness, equality, and global stewardship, while making connections across generational, ethnic, and issue lines".