Fill the Backpack

2010 Hunger in America Study
Comparison between County, State, and National Results

The methodology incorporated into the 2010 study includes data collected from February through June, 2009.  This report is based on independent research conducted on behalf of Feeding America by Mathematica Policy Research, a widely respected nonpartisan social policy research firm based in Princeton, New Jersey. Weld Food Bank conducted 261 face-to-face in-depth interviews throughout Weld County with people seeking emergency food assistance and completed 81 agency surveys. The results are based on surveys conducted at emergency feeding programs throughout Weld County.

Who receives emergency food assistance?

• 39% of the members of households served by Weld Food Bank are children under 18 years old
• Statewide it is 39%
• This is up from 32% of families in Weld County in 2006

Employment/Income

• 46% of Weld Food Bank client households include at least one employed adult, up from 39% in 2006
• Statewide it is 43% of households, down from 45% in 2006
• 39.5% of Weld Food Bank clients’ main source of income is from a job
• 19.5% of clients have no source of income
• 12.3% of clients main source of income is from Social Security
• .3% of Weld Food Bank clients receive government welfare assistance, compared with .8% statewide
• Average yearly income of Weld Food Bank client is $13,640
• Clients statewide average yearly income is $17,740

Food Security

• Among all client households served by emergency food programs of Weld Food Bank, 85% are food insecure, up from 76% in 2006
• Statewide 79% of client households are food insecure, up from 71% in 2006
• 46% of Weld Food Bank clients have very low food security, up from 35% in 2006
• Statewide 43% experience very low food security, up from 37% in 2006
• Adults in 32.5% of the client households did not eat for a whole day at least once during the previous 12 months because there was not enough money for food
• 23.6% of clients with children said that their children were hungry at least once during the previous 12 months, but they could not afford food
• 2/3 of the Colorado seniors (65+) served have limited or uncertain availability of food.  Included in that number is 26% of the seniors who are hungry because they lacked the money to buy foo

Many clients have to choose between food and other necessities 

• 50% of Weld Food Bank clients had to choose between paying for food or rent/mortgage, up from 37% in 2006
• Statewide 44% of clients choose between food and rent/mortgage
• 42% of Weld Food Bank clients had to choose between paying for food or medication, up from 37% in 2006
• Statewide 35% of clients choose between food and medication

Clients and government food assistance

• 21% of Weld Food Bank clients are receiving SNAP benefits, up from 19% in 2006
• 28% of statewide clients receive SNAP, up from 22% in 2006
• Nationally 41% of clients receive SNAP
• Among households with school-age children, 7% participate in the summer food program
• Statewide participation is at 14%
• Nationally participation is at 14%

Clients and Education

• 25% of Weld Food Bank clients have some college or post high school education, up from 21% in 2006

 

Useful Terms

Emergency Food Assistance:  Charitable feeding programs whose services are provided to clients who are typically in short-term need of emergency assistance.  Emergency food programs include food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. 

Food Insecurity:  The lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members; limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. 

Very Low Food Insecurity or Food Insecurity with Hunger:  An involuntary state that results in eating patterns of one or more household members being disrupted and food intake reduced, because the household could not afford enough food. 

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program):  The SNAP food benefits (used to be called food stamps) helps people with low incomes and resources buy the food they need for good health.

Food Insecurity in the U.S., 1998-2008 (in the millions)

Comparison Chart

A special thank you goes out to all the agencies, individuals, volunteers, and staff  who participated in this study.