Would you believe that 1 in 8 people in the U.S. faces hunger? Or that more than half of the households who turn to food banks for help have at least one member employed? Or that people living in the South or in rural areas are at greater risk of food insecurity? The reality is that hunger is everywhere. It exists in every county in this country.

Forty million people in the United States are living on the verge of hunger. That’s 40 million people, including more than 12 million children, who don’t know where their next meal will come from. Right here in America, hunger hides in plain sight.

Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, publishes an annual study – Map the Meal Gap – which analyzes data from USDA, the Census Bureau and other sources to determine food insecurity rates at the local level. It reveals the harsh reality that hunger exists in every county in the U.S.

The Faces of Hunger

Families in the South or in rural counties are more likely to struggle with hunger. Households with children led by single women are 2.5 times more likely to experience food insecurity. Even military families face hunger – with 20 percent of households seeking food assistance through Feeding America having at least one member who is serving or has served1.

For Brittany and her family, the holidays are a particularly difficult time. Even though she and her husband both work, there just isn’t enough room in their budget for a holiday meal. They have to make tough choices just to save enough money to get by, including not turning on the heat during the cold winter.

As a mom, it makes me feel bad when I can’t provide my sons with things other families seem to take for granted – like holiday meals. It’s heartbreaking.

Solving Hunger at Every Stage of the Food Supply Chain

There is a silver lining to this problem of hunger. Our nation produces enough food to feed everyone and solve hunger in America. As a hunger-relief and food rescue organization with a network of 200 food banks, Feeding America works across the food supply chain – with farmers, manufacturers and retailers – to rescue safe food that might otherwise go to waste and get it on to the plates of people in need.

At the beginning of the food supply chain, where 20 billion pounds of fruits and vegetables are left unharvested each year, we are capturing farms’ unused fresh produce through Regional Produce Cooperatives that enable food banks of all sizes across the country to secure and distribute a variety of crops they need for their community.

On the other end of the food supply chain, 52 billion pounds of food from manufacturers, grocery stores and restaurants end up in landfills. Through our partnerships with national food companies and grocery chains,  we are able to lower this number by capturing their surplus food and diverting it to local food banks.

Together, we can work to rescue the 72 billion pounds of wasted but edible food to help the 40 million people facing hunger in America2.

How You Can Help:

Hunger affects families, children, and seniors from all walks of life. Anybody can be one accident, disaster or illness away from food insecurity.

Learn: Find out what hunger looks like in your community. This interactive map provides information on food insecurity by county, state, and congressional district along with information about the Feeding America food bank in that community.

Volunteer: Food banks welcome individuals, families and group volunteers throughout the year.

Take action: Support efforts that utilize food rescue approaches and ensure people are receiving healthy meals, such as Feeding America.

1. Feeding America: Hunger in America 2014 National Report
2. ReFED (Rethink Food Waste through Economics and Data), “A Roadmap to Reduce U.S. Food Waste by 20 Percent,” (2016).