Kay’s comments: More seniors go hungry in U.S. today
On my way home Monday night, I heard a shocking discussion. The NPR show, “On Point” was discussing a report from the Meals on Wheels Foundation. That report found that one in seven or 8.3 million Americans face the threat of hunger.
Those 8.3 million are not children. They are seniors and especially seniors between the ages of 60 and 69. In 2005, that number was one in nine. The report used questions from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and emphasized those who were at threat of hunger or marginally food insecure.
Those senior citizens most likely be threatened by hunger were racial or ethnic minorities, those living in the South or Southwest, those with lower incomes and those in the 60 to 69 age group. Most of those threatened by hunger have incomes above the poverty level and are white.
The numbers are increasing according to the report. From 2001 to 2010, the numbers of seniors facing hunger has increased 78 percent.
The report also found, “Hunger threat among divorced or separated seniors is two and a half times greater than married seniors, and younger seniors, especially those under 75, are at heightened threat in comparison to those over age 75. Likewise, the threat of hunger is over 3 times higher among the disabled than the retired, and if a grandchild is present, the prospects for being under the threat of hunger greatly exceed those households with no grandchild present.” Some people commenting on the report speculated that seniors caring for grandchildren may give up their own food so their grandchildren will not go hungry.”
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