Ending Hunger
Why Are People in Need of Food Assistance?
The Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks (OASHF), conducted a survey in 83 counties during July, August and September of 2003. This survey was entitled "No Name, Please! Survey". Some of the results of this survey follow*.
* Many told that their income was only enough to pay the bills. Grandparents had taken in their grandchildren as an alternative to having them placed in foster care by Children's Services
* Many senior citizens had high medical costs and had to choose between medication and food
* Individuals were laid-off and not able to find new employment due to the decline in the economy
* The 8,120 households surveyed contained 23,533 individuals. 75% were females, 25% were males and of those 42.7% were children
* 37.3% of the adults had not finished high school
* 57.8% of the adults were unemployed
* The average monthly income for Muskingum County and surrounding counties was only $746.69
* Top five reasons that families needed food assistance were:
- They had run out of food
- They had run out of money
- The main bread winner had become sick or disabled and was unable to work
- They had run out of Food Stamps
- They were unemployed
* Divorce, separation, health issues, criminal record, extended families, homelessness and the elderly are all reasons why people need food assistance
* Statistics taken from Hunger in Ohio 2003, Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, 2004. www.oashf.org