Alabama among states with highest food insecurity; more than 1 in 5 kids growing up hungry
822,109 Alabamians went to bed at night not always know where their next meal was coming from during the three-year time period of 2015-2017 making it the fifth most food insecure state in the country. That’s according to a new report released Monday by Hunger Free America, a New York-based nonprofit, based on an analysis of federal data. The report — the first ever “U.S. Hunger Atlas” found Alabama was consistently in the lists of the top ten states with the highest rates of food insecurity for employed adults, children, and older Americans (ages 60 and older). It also found nearly 22 percent of all children, or 237,572 kids, in Alabama lived in households that couldn’t always afford enough food during that same time period. Working adults While many would think only the unemployed are hungry, the report shed a light on the fact that 12.6 percent of working adults, or 256,923 people, in Alabama suffered from food insecurity from 2015-2017. Without a state minimum wage, most Alabama employees are covered under the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. Meanwhile, the increased state minimum wage nationally correlated with declined hunger among working people in other states. “It’s no surprise that we again found that states with higher minimum wages have less hunger among working people and states with lower minimum wages had more hunger among working people,” said Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg. “The claims of opponents of wage hikes — that such increases will harm employment rates and thus increase poverty and hunger — are clearly unfounded. This report should be a wake-up call to elected officials at the federal, state, and local levels that we need bold, comprehensive new economic and public polices to raise wages and ensure an adequate anti-hunger and anti-poverty safety net.” Berg added, “While the nation rightfully focuses on whether a blue wave or a red wave changes our political leadership any given year, we must also focus on the reality that, since the 1980s, a red, white, and blue wave of hunger has submerged each of the fifty states of the U.S. in suffering, making America the only Western industrialized democracy with this level of food hardship. We simply cannot let mass deprivation be considered any sort of ‘new normal.’” Additional Alabama findings The report also found: 11.4 percent of older Americans living in Alabama, a total of 122,400 people, were hungry during 2015-2017. In states with a minimum wage set at $10 or above, an average of 8.6 percent of employed adults were found to be food insecure — more than a full percentage point below the national average of 9.7 percent. In states with a minimum wage set at $7.25 or below, an average of 9.9 percent of employed adults were food insecure. Food insecure Alabama residents would need more than $428 million in additional food purchasing power each year to meet their basic food needs, spending as much on food as do non-hungry Alabama residents. The increased food purchasing power could take the form of a combination of higher wages and increased federal nutrition assistance spending.
Kay Ivey: To beat hunger, we’re all on the same team
In about three weeks, one of the best rivalries and college sporting events in the nation will take place right here in Alabama: The Iron Bowl. For decades, fans of the University of Alabama and Auburn University have come together to celebrate this great tradition and to cheer on their team. In a good-natured way, this historic event often pits neighbor against neighbor, co-worker against co-worker, and sometimes even spouse against spouse. On November 25th, when kick-off rolls around, every Alabamian will be called upon to pick a side – Tide or Tigers. For whatever reason, each of us has our team. Maybe we pick a team because we went to school there, or maybe we pick a side because we remember our parents taking us for walks around the campus. Maybe we pick the Tide because of our fond memories of a larger-than-life coach in his iconic, houndstooth hat roaming the sidelines. Or, perhaps we yell “War Eagle” because of our connection to gridiron greats like Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton. Each of us have a reason behind which team we will be pulling for in the Iron Bowl, but there is one cause we all can unite around – fighting hunger in Alabama. According to VOICES for Alabama’s Children, 24 percent of children in our state faced food insecurity in 2015, meaning they were not always sure where their next meal would come from. Alabama is consistently one of the highest giving states in the nation when it comes to supporting the work of charities and non-profits. As we move toward the Thanksgiving season and the Iron Bowl, we have an opportunity to once again show our generosity by coming together to meet the hunger need head-on. For years, through the Beat Auburn Beat Hunger or the Beat Bama Beat Hunger food drives, the University of Alabama and Auburn University have put aside their rivalries to stand united in raising awareness and donations for those who might be in need of food in our state. This fantastic program underscores that all of us, regardless of our Saturday afternoon allegiances, have more in common than what divides us. In 2016, these two great college campuses donated 396,044 pounds of food to food banks across Alabama. Can you imagine how much more could be given this year if every Alabamian joined this effort and gave just a few can goods to support their school of choice? College rivalries in Alabama are second to none, but our willingness to help our fellow citizens in need is just as important to who we are as a state. This year’s Beat Bama/Beat Auburn food drive runs through November 15th, and I hope you will join me in donating to your school of choice, or to your local food bank. You can learn more by visiting https://beatauburnbeathunger.sa.ua.edu or https://beatbamafooddrive.com. In just a few short weeks, the battle lines will be drawn and the eyes of the world will converge on Auburn for the annual Iron Bowl. As Alabama and Auburn battle it out on the football field, fans will cheer on their team of choice and hope for victory; but, until then, let’s cast aside our labels and join together as part of one team. When we unite to beat hunger in Alabama, no one loses, and we all win. To beat hunger, we must all be on the same team. Hunger in Alabama is beatable, because #TogetherWeCan. ••• Kay Ivey is the 54th and current Governor of Alabama since April 2017. Ivey, a member of the Republican Party, served as the 38th Alabama State Treasurer from 2003 to 2011, and later became the 30th Lieutenant Governor of Alabama, serving from January 2011 until April 2017.
Kay Ivey: Every meal matters
Hunger is an uncomfortable truth that affects children in our state; even some of our closest neighbors. To most of us, hunger can seem like a foreign term. Unfortunately, we are not talking about children on the other side of the globe, but in our local communities. The startling fact is that in Alabama, 300,000 (1 in 4) children do not know where they will get their next meal and risk hunger every day. Hunger is more than just a missed meal; it is a health problem, education problem, job readiness and workforce problem. Nutritious meals fuel our bodies and minds to function and properly develop. Children facing food insecurity in the first three years of life are more likely to start school behind their peers. According to the USDA, food insecurity occurs when people lack access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food due to lack of money or other resources. When children have access to nutritious meals– graduation rates increase, doctor visits decrease as children are less likely to get sick, and our economy is stimulated. Three years ago, End Child Hunger in Alabama (ECHA) was launched by Auburn University’s Hunger Institute, which I am pleased to serve as the campaign spokesperson. ECHA is a statewide, multisector initiative addressing the critical issues of hunger and food insecurity facing Alabama’s children and youth. ECHA focuses to increase Alabama families’ economic stability, cultivate a strong regional food system, build public will to end childhood hunger, improve the food assistance safety net for Alabama’s children, support community action, and enhance children’s health and prevent obesity. Since 2013, ECHA has made great strides on behalf of childhood hunger due to the collaborative effort of outstanding key leaders serving on the task force. End Child Hunger in Alabama has recently launched the Every Meal Matters campaign. The campaign includes a public service announcement that is being shown on televisions across our State to bring to light the pressing issue of child hunger and the importance of nutritious meals for Alabama’s children. Hunger is preventable in our state, but we must work together. The children of our State deserve our attention. Together we can start a public movement to combat childhood hunger in Alabama. Join me in getting involved with a local feeding organization and share the PSA below. Visit endchildhungeral.org for more information. #EveryMealMatters • • • Kay Ivey is the lieutenant governor of Alabama. Elected in 2010, she was the first Republican woman to hold the office in Alabama’s history.
Donna Marietta: The Forgotten Generation
Seniors are often the forgotten generation. As we go about our daily lives, we forget there are many seniors who live alone and are lonely and isolated. Many of them are also hungry. As we drive through our neighborhoods on our way to work, school, church or to go shopping, we drive past homes where seniors live behind closed doors and closed blinds. Senior hunger is a hidden national crisis that will only become more serious. In 2030, more than 20 percent of Americans are expected to be older than 65. There is an army of baby boomers who have not saved enough given how long they are going to live, marching towards retirement. It’s going to be a hungry retirement! Many have not recovered from the recession poorly timed for people nearing or already in their retirement years. The number of seniors facing the threat of hunger is alarmingly high. More than 1 in 6 seniors in America – a total of 8.8 million — may not know when they will have their next meal or where it will come from. In 2050 that number – 8.8 million – is predicted to double. There are many reasons for the rapid increase in life expectancy, including improved medical care and healthier life styles. Since people are living longer, we also are seeing more frail elderly. The frail elderly segment of our population is growing faster than any other category. Frail is defined as a state of decreased physical functioning and/or bad complications of aging such as poor balance that increased the risk of falls, fractures or disability. No one grows up dreaming of becoming isolated, hungry, and alone. Sometimes it is beyond their control, such as outliving a more mobile spouse and are now vulnerable or outlasting a pension or their retirement funds. Women make up 60 percent of the seniors facing the threat of hunger. Many seniors who can afford the cost of food, lack the mobility to get the food and prepare their own meals nor have anyone to help them. They may have no family nearby or their friends aren’t able to help because they may be in the same situation. Some seniors are too proud to let others know they are hungry. They are humiliated and don’t want to be a bother. They want so much to stay in their home that they’ll go hungry without a fuss. They are afraid they’ll be forced into assisted living or a nursing facility. They are getting by on cold cereal, or the wrong kind of food but that is not adequate. It is vital that they receive the proper nutrients to stay healthy. Half of all health concerns affecting older Americans are directly connected to poor diet. A recent study showed that food insecure seniors are at higher risk of experiencing negative nutrition and health consequences. Specifically, seniors at risk of hunger are: 50 percent more likely to be diabetic; Twice as likely to report fair or poor general health; Three times more likely to suffer depression; Nearly 60 percent more likely to have congestive heart failure or experience a heart attack; and Twice as likely to report having gum disease or asthma. These are some of the reasons for the Montgomery Area Council On Aging and the Meals On Wheels program. Through donations and volunteers, we are able to deliver hot, nutritious meals Monday through Friday to home-bound seniors. At this time we have the funds and volunteers to be able to deliver 350 meals daily. There is a waiting list that averages about 400. Enabling seniors to stay in their own homes means they remain happier, extend their independence, and can stay connected to the community and surroundings that provide them comfort. Meals On Wheels is more than a meal. It is a friendly smile and conversation, and it provides peace of mind. The smile and daily check is a critical part of our mission because many times our volunteer may be the only person that the senior sees each day. The compassion delivered with the meal allows Meals On Wheels to show our home-bound seniors they are not forgotten and that we care. Donna Marietta is executive director of the Montgomery Area Council on Aging, a nonprofit that provides senior services to five counties in central Alabama.
