Hunger 101
In many ways, America is the land of plenty. But for 1 in 6 Americans, hunger is a reality. Many people believe that the problems associated with hunger are confined to small pockets of society, certain areas of the country, or certain neighborhoods, but the reality is much different.
Right now, millions of Americans are struggling with hunger. We all know and are in contact with people affected by hunger, even though we might not be aware of it.
The clients we serve are hard-working adults who simply cannot make ends meet. We serve children and seniors who normally go without food for several meals, or even days.
This year, we've seen more and more people coming to us for help for the first time.
People who used to donate to the food bank are now on the receiving end of our services.
See the latest statistics about hunger in mid-Michigan by clicking here. A sampling:
- 30% of the members of households served by the Mid-Michigan Food Bank are children under 18 years old
- 24% of clients served by the Mid-Michigan Food Bank report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities
- 1,115 people receive emergency food assistance each week from a food pantry, soup kitchen, or other agency supplied by the Mid-Michigan Food Bank.
- 58,300 different people in mid-Michigan receive emergency food each year through the Mid-Michigan Food Bank’s hunger-relief network.
