As the economic crisis continues and the unemployment rate goes up, a record amount of Americans now receive food stamps. According to the New York Times, a record one in every eight Americans now receives food stamps, including one in every four children.

The worst part is that the numbers continue to grow at ridiculous rates with around 20,000 new people receiving food stamps each day. Interestingly enough, the biggest rises have not been seen in the usual areas where poverty is more prevalent but in suburban communities that had once been affluent until they were struck hard ...continue reading]]>

As the economic crisis continues and the unemployment rate goes up, a record amount of Americans now receive food stamps. According to the New York Times, a record one in every eight Americans now receives food stamps, including one in every four children.

The worst part is that the numbers continue to grow at ridiculous rates with around 20,000 new people receiving food stamps each day. Interestingly enough, the biggest rises have not been seen in the usual areas where poverty is more prevalent but in suburban communities that had once been affluent until they were struck hard by the housing crisis.

As families in those areas lose everything, their only recluse is the credit card shaped food stamp card that now helps feed their family.

Ironically, the government hopes to see another 15 million people or so sign up for food stamps.

Only about two-thirds of the people eligible actually sign up for food stamps. This is a worrying statistic as a recent report showed an obscenely high amount of children around the United States going hungry.

The times also details personal accounts of people who once owned homes and had nice jobs who saw food stamps as government waste and people on food stamps as people who “milk the system.” Today, more and more people are realizing that the threat of going hungry in the United States is much more real than once thought.

While the United States frequently sends food and aid to improvised nations, the government has been ignoring the needs of the hungry here at home.

According to the Department of Agriculture, nearly 50 million people or one in every six Americans, went hungry last year. The rate went up more than four percent from what it had been in 2007.

The United States Department of Agriculture classified “going hungry” as not having enough food or resources for enough food to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Former presidential candidate and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has stated ...continue reading]]>

While the United States frequently sends food and aid to improvised nations, the government has been ignoring the needs of the hungry here at home.

According to the Department of Agriculture, nearly 50 million people or one in every six Americans, went hungry last year. The rate went up more than four percent from what it had been in 2007.

The United States Department of Agriculture classified “going hungry” as not having enough food or resources for enough food to lead a healthy lifestyle.

Former presidential candidate and current Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has stated that he expects the rate to increase even more this year as the economic crisis takes its toll on the most vulnerable among us.

The most worrisome number is the rate of hunger among children. Nearly 17 million children went hungry in 2008, four million more than in 2007.

Critics are up in arms over this latest report. Several pundits have likened the seldom mentioned food crisis to the state of some third world countries. It is hard to defend against that kind of analysis when a quarter of American children do not have enough food to live a normal lifestyle.

The government has said that this is simply a problem of families being hit hard by the crisis and the government not having enough money to help feed the hungry. In 2008, Congress signed a bill to give nearly a trillion dollars to bailout banks. In 2008, the government also spent more than $600 billion on its defense budget.