Members of the General Assembly have joined forces in the fight against Hoosier hunger. Partnering with Feeding Indiana’s Hungry Inc., a statewide association of Feeding America affiliated food banks, lawmakers are working to raise awareness and assist with the state’s domestic hunger relief efforts through the month of February.
All four caucus leaders participated in a public service announcement which can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/cqfNSUt6pXw (30 seconds) or http://youtu.be/m9Z4ba-ilew (60 seconds) to kick off the month of awareness.
“I support the efforts of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to bring together the public and private sectors in order to best utilize Indiana’s resources,” said Rep. Woody Burton. “No Hoosier child should have to wonder if there will be dinner for them when they get home from school, and no Hoosier parent should have to wonder if they will be able to provide for their child.”
In 2011, a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) report states that 13 percent Hoosier households are food insecure. Today, one in four Hoosier children, an estimated 358,000 statewide, experience a lack of accessible nutrition required for a healthy lifestyle. In addition, more than one million Hoosiers statewide are at risk of hunger.
“Food insecurity is a problem which knows no boundaries,” said Rep. Burton. “The rural food insecurity rate and the urban food insecurity rate in Indiana are the same, at 16 percent. Generally, we see urban and rural areas affected in very different ways by economic plight, but that is not the case in this instance.”
Feeding Indiana’s Hungry has 11 regional member food banks, each serving a specific geographic area. The food banks supply food to more than 1700 local soup kitchens, homeless shelters, church pantries, day cares and other nonprofits. The food banks provide sustenance for roughly 117,900 Hoosiers each week throughout all 92 counties, giving emergency food assistance to those in need.
“Feeding Indiana’s Hungry and our member food banks are thankful for the attention that the Indiana General Assembly and its caucus leaders are giving to hunger,” said Emily Bryant, Executive Director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry. “One in six is at risk of hunger in Indiana, and those Hoosiers live in every county and every legislative district across the state. By coming together, we can shed light on the shadows of hunger and bring our neighbors together to prevent anyone in our state from worrying about where to find their next meal.”
