In other districts served by the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, the Eleventh Congressional District, represented by U. S. Rep. Lou Barletta, one in four families with children struggled to have an adequate supply of food and in the Tenth Congressional District, represented by U. S. Rep. Tom Marino, more than one in five households with children were similarly challenged.
Pennsylvania reported alarming rates of food hardship—the inability to afford enough food—among children across all 19 of its Congressional Districts. Of the nation’s 436 Congressional districts, the First District, represented by U.S. Rep. Bob Brady ranks second-worst for food hardship among households with children. Other southeast Pennsylvania districts also fared poorly. (See the chart below.)
“Children are the innocent victims of this nation’s failure to provide for the neediest people among us,” said Ann McManus, Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. “This report reminds us that the safety net of food and nutrition program needs to be strengthened so that everyone, especially children, can have an adequate diet. But, the threats that are looming as Congress contemplates drastic domestic cuts are real. Congress needs to realize that SNAP (formerly known as food stamps), the Women Infants and Children’s Supplemental Feeding Program (WIC), school meals, and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) need to be fully funded.”
Data from the report came from a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index project, which has interviewed more than 1 million households since January 2008. Households were asked: “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” In the U.S. as a whole, 18 percent of all households polled responded yes; in households with children, that figure reached more than 23 percent. In Pennsylvania, food hardship among households with children is nearly 22 percent.
“America is failing its families with children. Here at the local level we are doing the best we can, but there is no way our best is enough without effective public policies,” says Alan Jennings, executive director of the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley, whose agency operates the Second Harvest Food Bank. He continues that “children, and adults, who are not getting enough good food to eat are less productive, less able to go about their daily tasks. The risks to their health and well-being have consequences for all of us. We shouldn’t be surprised if, 15 years from now, the children on whom we turned our backs, turn their backs on society.”
*The following table lists food hardship rates for every Congressional District in Pennsylvania.
Food Hardship Rates for Households with Children in Every Congressional District in Pennsylvania
Representative | Food Hardship Rate 2008-2010 |
Robert A. Brady | 49.6 |
Chaka Fattah | 32.2 |
Mike Kelly | 26.3 |
Jason Altmire | 18.9 |
Glenn Thompson | 24.8 |
Jim Gerlach | 14.7 |
Patrick Meehan | 15.0 |
Michael Fitzpatrick | 11.9 |
Bill Shuster | 21.2 |
Tom Marino | 22.4 |
Lou Barletta | 26.0 |
Mark Critz | 22.7 |
Allyson Schwartz | 14.6 |
Michael Doyle | 25.4 |
Charles Dent | 21.6 |
Joseph Pitts | 18.1 |
Tim Holden | 19.7 |
Tim Murphy | 17.5 |
Todd Russell Platts | 19.6 |
43 comments:
Keep working until its one in three!
The Tea Party
In a country where obesity rates are higher among the poor, I wonder if the hungry have cable, satellite, internet, smart phones etc.?
And, yes. It's all the Tea Party's fault. They arrived on the political scene two minutes ago. It's not the "poverty" programs thrown at the indigent by liberals salving their guilty consciences by spending others' money. Those poverty programs, each dollar of which costs 90 cents to administer due to insatiable slopping of MSWs in the multi-billion dollar social work industry, have made things worse for those who truly need help.
And no public money for the Allentown Rescue Mission! Better that the starving die in order to protect them from a sermon. That's the compassion of liberalism fully manifested.
Morning Bernie, is Zorn 7:39 a real human being or just some perverted jokester. I'm a D who raised her boys alone, no gov't help and am still working. Yes, there are those who abuse the system, but let us not throw all the Ds in some welfare barrel. Life presents many difficult circumstances re: health problems,loss of job and lack of finding a job. Carol
yes - 50 years of the great society and tens of trillions od dollars later - 20% of children are hungry.
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Maybe, just maybe, the hope and spend approach is not the solution
carol,
real people overcome difficulties in their life. it appears that you fall into this category. good for you - i am sure you are proud, and justifiably so, of your accomplishments.
If we ban liquor stores and smoking in LV, that could mean more money available for parents to feed their children?
Carol, I think Zorn s a jokester and laughs to himself as he posts his condemnations. I accused him of being Callaahan in disguise, which offended him very much.
"In a country where obesity rates are higher among the poor,"
If the implication is that the poor are not hungry bc they have higher obesity rates, you are wrong. The reality is that fattening, processed food is much cheaper.
I know it costs me much more to eat healthy than it does to pack away a few hamburgers and candy bars. Fresh fruit and produce is expensive.
So some poor people will buy fattening food. Some won't buy enough.
Bo, You didn't even give me credit for being nice to Carol. I know it was too much of a shock for you.
Bernie -
I have a hard time with this post for a couple of reasons:
1) We all know the "drastic" domestic cuts being contemplated by Congress really amount to no more than a REDUCTION IN THE RATE OF GROWTH of spending, not actual cuts in the amount of dollars being spent.
2) As pointed out by you and others, we are constantly being told by everyone (including Michelle Obama) that our children are obese. This would appear to be a contradiction, and I'm not buying the argument that "processed, fattening food is much cheaper". I'll put a bag of apples or a quart of strawberries against a bag of Oreos anyday(pricewise anyway).
I find either claim (obese or hungry) curious, since for at least nine months of the year the government is (potentially) feeding our school kids for two meals a day.
Could government itself be part of the problem? Sadly, that question will never be asked by those groups who are looking for government money.
"I'll put a bag of apples or a quart of strawberries against a bag of Oreos anyday(pricewise anyway)."
You'll lose. As someone who recently converted to buying fresh produce and fruit over a bag of Oreos, I can tell you I am definitely spending more money.
Zorn, It was a bit of a shock. Give me some time to get used to a kinder, gentler Zorn.
Patrick,
I agree and disagree. Michelle Obama has made childhood obesity her pet project. There are many many reasons for childhood obesity. Kids used to go out and find their friends down the street, ride bikes and play kickball. Now they text.
Obesity is also a land use problem. WHere I live, there are about 60 or so fast food/take out places in 3 square miles. All of the manufacturing has left, and been replaced with fast food. The temptations are all over the place.
I agree with Bernie that produce is way too expensive. The other day, I stopped at Wegmans to buy beefsteak tomatoes. I bought 4 of them for $9.56.
Trish
so why are fresh fruits and vegetables so expensive?
oil.
Shop bottom dollar, produce junction, a farmers market or grow your own. It's cheaper than oreos.
Bernie, I'm a little thick, you'll have to fill in the blanks that connect "oil" with "expensive vegetables"
Bernie,
Eating healthy is much cheaper than fast food or fat food. Shop at any of Allentown's(located right downtown) discount produce markets and see how much real food you can buy for just a few bucks. Of course then there is a small investment of time to prepare it for a meal. That is what too many people aren't willing to do.
Scott Armstrong
Bo, don't get too used to it. Carol had a point and I conceded to it. Keep smiling - you'll never know where I'll pop up.
Bo, Did you know that second harvest wanted to charge the boy scouts a stocking fee to take the food from their annual drive? That's why the scouts distribute the collection to local places now. The greedy fools at second harvest are nearly as holier then thou as the bleeding heart blind fools at turning point.
I am shocked that Charlie Dent or an operative would post such a thing. He has totally swallowed the teabgger agenda,if he believes that. I doubt it will win him many votes.
That chart is interesting. Why is it that the more liberal the district, the higher the rate of hunger? Another question would be with all the millions and millions of dollars going into the most liberal of districts, why are there so many people still hungry? The liberal transfer payments are doing more harm than good and if the libs really cared about hungry people they would stop them immediately.
Ann 5:08, That was not Congressman Dent or anyone speaking on his behalf. Somebody was impersonating him to make him look bad.
1:38,
We are an oil economy. Our produce and fruit, even when produced locally, is fertilized by oil-based products. When oil costs rise, so does the price of the product. At other months of the year, when we have to bring in fruit and produce from Florida and California, you can understand that rising transportation costs will increase the cost of the product.
"Bo, Did you know that second harvest wanted to charge the boy scouts a stocking fee to take the food from their annual drive?"
I heard that last year and was trying to nail it down, but was too late. I'll be ready this year.
Scott Armstrong,
I believe that you are able to do exactly what you say. But you, sir, are a gourmand who recognizes good food right away. Having eaten one of your meals, I was ready to propose to you.
For me, it is far more difficult There are no real discount fruit or produce stands in Nazareth. A bag of apples or even oranges would be pretty steep. But watermelon is a good low budget fruit.
Right now, I'm eating lots of watermelon.
"Shop bottom dollar, produce junction, a farmers market or grow your own. It's cheaper than oreos."
Tell you want. Tomorrow, I will price a bag of apples v. the Bottom Dollar price for a bag or oreos. Same thing with a quart of strawberries.
I can buy the link between poverty and poor nutrition.
And I can buy the link between poor nutrition and obesity.
But to link "hunger" with obesity requires stepping into the bizzaro world.
Bernie -
I think you'll like what you find - and the prices - at some of the stores others mentioned.
Get a discount card (for free!) at some of the supermarkets (like Giant, Weis, even Wegmans) and you'll even find some BOGO (Buy One, Get One) opportunities.
The downtown produce markets that Scott mentioned, or the Allentown Farmers Market (especially after 4:00 on Saturday afternoon) are also great bargains.
It's obvious that people need to stop breeding for a period of time or at least not as many. The country is not failing these children, the people who decide to have sex are. And what exactly has Planned Parenthood done to help these people who just keep having more children they can't take care of? Wake up America, this is 2011 and we are not some 3rd world country where there is little education on the subject. I think by now most people, unless you live in a cave somewhere, know how to make babies and how not to.
Hunger and obesity are, oddly enough, linked by poverty. It is possible to be obese and worried about affording food. (There's an easy joke or two there, but the reality of hunger really isn't funny.) Here is one of many articles exploring this paradox:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/14/nyregion/14hunger.html
In my mind, children are innocent victims. Hunger doesn't care how you vote, and it's an issue that needs solutions, not political grandstanding.
One of the problems with solving hunger is that society has decided to primarily give dollars to parents to spend, presumably on food. Problem is, those dollars are easily misappropriated and spent on other items. Or on poor food choices. It is much easier to buy a burger than apples, and I would simply say that kids really don't get a say in what is purchased for dinner.
I advocate a return to soup kitchens. Only then can diet choices be controlled, and a meal guaranteed. It also eliminates the opportunity for fraud and waste with Access cards. I guess it's just too simple a solution for America, though, huh?
I advocate a return to soup kitchens. Only then can diet choices be controlled, and a meal guaranteed. It also eliminates the opportunity for fraud and waste with Access cards. I guess it's just too simple a solution for America, though, huh?
Ditto! Guarantee a meal and a great solution to excessive fraud that hurts our kids and our economy.
Hey, there are those that think the general public is too stupid to make the right choices for a whole varity of purchases, from light bulbs to automobiles.
Why not add food to the list?
Newspapers and magazines will be next.
In response to comments by Patrick McHenry, I went to Giant today to compare prices for a quart of strawberries, bag of Oreos and bag of apples. It is Patrick's contention that this fruit is cheaper.
A quart of strawberries (1lb.) is $3.99. Red delicious apples are $1.99 per lb. You could probably get 4-5 of them for around $4.
A bag or Oreos is just $2.99 or two bags for $4.
The junk food is cheaper.
Scott claims there are discount markets and he is right. But not every poor person is within walking distance of Elias or the farmer's market.
There are corner stores, but at most of them, no fruit is sold.
Some fruit is very cheap. Bananas, watermelon, peaches are all very reasonable.
Should have taken Scott's advice and gone to Bottom Dollar. Strawberries were $1.47 a pound.
Redner's this week, locally grown peaches and nectarines $0.98/lb.
Yeah, I saw that some fruit, like peaches, were probably cheaper than the oreos.
Bernie -
I think the bigger point is that it isn't that difficult to find bargains on healthy food. So I'm still not buying the argument that there is this huge disparity between healthy and unhealthy food.
I could also probably go to the store and get chicken breasts, rice and a vegetable for a family of four at a comparable price (or cheaper) than two McDonalds adult combo meals and two Happy meals.
Whether people make that CHOICE - which is theirs - is another story.
Regarding the kids (obese or hungry), I'll again state that I find it odd that there is a problem when the government has our school kids for (potentially) two meals a day. Wouldn't that mean that government is at least 2/3 of the problem?
Patrick,
A friend of mine contacted me concerning this study, and it is flawed. Here's the flaw.
"If you look at the survey, it asked a single question: "Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?" This could be one time in a year, or many times in a year. No other questions were asked, such as "How would you define "your family needed?" Do your kids need a McDonalds Happy Meal? Do you need filet mignon?
"That question could be answered in the affirmative by just about anyone! "Well, I went to Pizza Joe's and discovered I didn't have my wallet. I really needed that calzone, but had to go back home and eat a peanut butter sandwich! Boy, am I pissed!"
"Think about the numbers. There are already 45 million Americans on food stamps. Add another 20% - that's 62 million more, and Jennings and his poverty industry pals would have you believe that 35% of America is unable to pay for its basic foods needs. Ridiculous!!!!!!!!!!!"
I pretty much agree with that assessment. Nevertheless, I also believe it is easier to buy cheap, fast food than it is to take the time to look for a bargain with healthy food.
Bernie -
Thanks for taking another look at this.
I will certainly agree that there is a great convenience factor in fast food, but I think that's where personal responsibility has to come into play.
My personal struggle (as far as grocery items go) is with Oreos, chocolate chip cookies and some sodas. Some days the junk wins, but I like to think that most of the time that I'm still able to say no to myself (which is not a bad thing).
Throwing more government money at a non-existent (at least to the extent claimed) problem only keeps the "poverty industry" funded.
Le them work in the fields. As payment the little buggers can eat a berry for every basket they pick!
Its our culture. We all eat entirely too much then complain in surveys that we go hungry.Go to golden coral and watch the quanity that people eat.Cigs are no more dangerous than chips,crackers,ice cream, candy and soda.
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