Advocates, community members to address solutions at Hungry for Change Summit, Sept. 29
DENVER (Sept. 9, 2015) – About one in seven Coloradans and Americans were unsure of when or where they would get their next meal at times during 2014, according to new data released today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service in its annual report on food insecurity.
The USDA report, Household Food Security in the United States in 2014, shows that more than 48 million Americans struggled with hunger, and nearly one in five households with children (19.2 percent) experienced food insecurity at times. The estimated percentage of U.S. households that were food insecure remained essentially unchanged from 2013 to 2014 (14 percent); however, food insecurity was down from a high of 14.9 percent in 2011.
In Colorado, the prevalence of food insecurity hovers near the national average at 13.6 percent, which is based on the average from 2012 to 2014.
“This report underscores the importance of collaboration and the need to protect and strengthen vital federal nutrition programs that provide access to healthy food, such as the child nutrition programs that are up for reauthorization this month,” said Kathy Underhill, executive director for Hunger Free Colorado, the state’s leading anti-hunger advocacy organization. “We need to make hunger a priority because no one, regardless of their age or zip code, should go hungry.”
In an effort to foster more collaboration and discuss solutions, Hunger Free Colorado will host its fifth annual Hungry for Change Summit on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at The Cable Center in Denver. The convening unites more than 200 nonprofit organizations, educators, faith community leaders, government representatives, foundation and corporate leadership, and community members for a full day of cross-sector learning. This year’s Summit will focus on a range of topics, including federal policy, child nutrition programs, older adults, food pantries, rural Colorado, and the connection between hunger and health.
Learn more about the issue of hunger and ways to take action at HungerFreeColorado.org.
Media Contact: Ellie Agar, Communications Specialist, (720) 593-0187