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We are people who live in inarguably the wealthiest nation in the history of the world.  Yet, here among us, our neighbors, our friends, our brothers and sisters, our fathers and mothers, and our children are hungry.  WE ARE HUNGRY.  Below are some of the disturbing facts that challenge us and call for us to respond.  In each face of a hungry child who remains unfed, we are reminded that it was Jesus who said, I was hungry, but you didn't feed me ... BUT we have the chance to touch the King ... we have a chance to feed the hungry.

WE HAVE THE CHANCE TO TOUCH THE FACE OF CHRIST.

 

Poverty and Hunger Facts of North Carolina

  • 18.6 % of North Carolina’s children live in poverty, that is 365,000 children.

    • A family of 4 living at - $20,650 per year is an impoverished family.

    • A family of 4 with one working adult earning $9.93 an hour would be impoverished.

    • In some of our counties as many as 30 % of the children are living in poverty ...

      • More than 1 in 4 children live in poverty

  • Over 1 million people in North Carolina live at and below the federal poverty level. 

    • That is one of every 7 North Carolinians.

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  • 400,000 men and women work full time and still do not earn enough to provide the basic necessities

    •  What are basic necessities for a family? --- food, clothing, and shelter.

  • North Carolina’s minimum wage is $6.15

  • In North Carolina, one out of  every three adults who works full time make less than poverty wages.  

    • In a region such as the Triangle, a mother with two children must make $16 an hour to pay for the just the basic necessities. 

    • Many North Carolinians are at risk of food insecurity and hunger.

  • 272,110 of our neighbors are unemployed. 

    • These are the persons who are actively looking for work, who have not given up and been dropped from the tracking system. 

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  • North Carolina ranks 45th poorest among the 50 states in the number of infants dying per 1,000 live births.

    • Almost half of the people served by the Food Bank’s network are children.

    • And another 11 percent are elderly.

    • Others are the “working poor” – people who work hard and still have to choose between eating and other basic necessities.

ADVERSE CONSEQUENCES OF HUNGER

AND FOOD INSECURITY FOR CHILDREN

 

Health

  •  Poorer overall health status and compromised ability to resist illness

  •  Elevated occurrence of health problems such as stomachaches, headaches,colds, ear infections, and fatigue

  •  Greater incidence of hospitalizations

Psychosocial and Behavioral

  •  Higher levels of aggression, hyperactivity, and anxiety as well as passivity

  •  Difficulty getting along with other children

  •  Increased need for mental health services

Learning and Academic

  •  Impaired cognitive functioning and diminished capacity to learn

  •  Lower test scores and poorer overall school achievement

  •  Repeating a grade in school

  •  Increased school absences, tardiness, and school suspension

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But We Can Respond

 

  • Recently, the Society of St. Andrew North Carolina celebrated saving and distributing over 42 Million pounds of food for the hungry of this state since the beginning of the gleaning in NC. 

    • And all of that food would have otherwise gone to waste.

    • That is approximately 42 million meals. 

  •  Yearly, the food banks distributed more than 20 million pounds of food to 800+ partner agencies such as soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters, and programs for children and adults.

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