Hunger in the United States is an invisible epidemic felt only by those who experience it
and those who try to end it.

Hunger does not discriminate against gender, weight, color or ethnicity. It does not
stereotype. It’s affecting a working family of four, a single mom and her two children, a
college-educated man who recently lost his job to illness and an elderly woman living off
of a small monthly social security check.

The United States Department of Agriculture reports that in 2009 49.1 million Americans

struggled to feed themselves.

Approximately 17,500 different people receive food assistance through our network of

member agencies in any given week. Annually, we serve 241,600 individuals – and

unfortunately that number continues to rise. As the economy continues to slow, and food prices skyrocket to all-time highs, more and more Delawareans will seek help.

Hunger will not end until its root causes – lack of job training, education, transportation, childcare, literacy, affordable housing, healthcare, drug treatment – just to name a few – are addressed.

Who is hungry?

Findings from the 2010 hunger study