1 in 6 Young Children At Risk of Hunger in Vermont
For Immediate Release
May 7, 2009
Media Contact
Judy Stermer, Vermont Foodbank
802-477-4108
1 in 6 Young Children Live at Risk of Hunger in Vermont
According to New Feeding America Report
5,700 Children under the Age of Five Are Food Insecure
Barre, VT—More than 16% or one in 6 young children (under 5 years of age) live on the brink of hunger in Vermont, according to a new report issued today by Feeding America.
Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 – 2007, states that 3.5 million American children, ages five and under, are food insecure. The study includes the first ever state-by-state analysis of early childhood hunger, using data collected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The report, funded with a grant from the ConAgra Foods Foundation, also found that food insecurity among all children (persons less than 18 years of age) increased in Vermont, when compared to USDA data collected between 2003 and 2005.
More than 20,400 children under the age of 18 in Vermont are food insecure – unable to consistently access adequate amounts of nutritious food that is necessary for a healthy life.
“The first three years of life are the most critical period of brain growth and development. Child hunger causes physical and mental impairment that may never be reversed,” said researcher John Cook, Ph.D., of the Boston Medical Center and Boston University School of Medicine, a nationally-recognized expert on child hunger, who conducted the analysis. “Child hunger also creates tremendous costs that are completely unavoidable. There is no better investment in a prosperous future than investing in ending childhood hunger.”
“The startling fact that so many very young children in this country do not have adequate nutrition necessary to grow and develop into healthy adults, is heartbreaking. It is all the more tragic when one considers that it is also entirely preventable,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. “We know that a child who is hungry and cannot learn becomes a man or woman who cannot earn.”
“The report comes on the eve of summer vacation, when thousands of Vermont children will no longer receive school meals, requiring struggling families to provide an additional 10 meals a week,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “The Vermont Foodbank is working hard with our partners to provide safe, nutritious foods through a myriad of programs this summer and year-round to ensure that no Vermont child goes hungry.”
Vermont child food insecurity is among the highest in New England—only Maine ranks higher with 19.5% of children living with risk of hunger.
“Vermont children are our future—and our success as a is dependent on ensuring that our most vulnerable population has the food they need to grow, learn, and be healthy,” added Sayles.
Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2005 – 2007, analyzes data collected by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) over a three-year period. The USDA has collected data on domestic food insecurity since 1995, but has not analyzed it to determine the specific number of children living in food insecure households by state.
The state-by-state study was sponsored by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, as part of its “Nourish Today, Flourish Tomorrow” program which focused on child hunger and nutrition education. ConAgra Foods is a major donor to Feeding America, whose network of food banks and food-rescue organizations serves 25 million Americans every year.
To read the full report, click here.
# # #
About the Vermont FoodbankVermont Foodbank is the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, serving communities in all 14 counties of Vermont through a network of 270 food pantries, soup kitchen, shelters, senior centers and after-school programs. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank distributed nearly 6.5 million pounds of food to the more than 66,000 needy Vermonters who request charitable food assistance. The Vermont Foodbank is a nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation. For facts and figures on hunger and poverty, to sign-up to receive our newsletter, to find a food shelf in your community, and to learn about the Federal Nutrition Programs, visit us on the web at www.vtfoodbank.org
