American hunger (2)

Further to this

Often described as the richest state in the richest country California has more than 2.5 million residents can’t afford to adequately feed their families, according to a new report by the Center for Health Policy Research at UCLA. 30 percent of poor people experienced food insecurity in 2005 up from the 29 percent reported in 2001. .

Merced County ranks third-worst in the state for the percentage of poor adults who have trouble putting food on the table (Only Kings and Napa counties had higher rates of food insecurity) . 25,000 low-income adults living in Merced have trouble getting enough food to eat. For about 9,000 of those people, the problem is so severe that they consistently experience hunger.

George Manalo-LeClair, one of the report's authors and director of legislation for the California Food Policy Advocates. "So much food is produced there, yet we see a ton of families struggling just to put food on the table."

Merced County Rescue Mission now serving between 8,000 and 11,000 meals per month countywide.

Meanwhile on the Eastern Seaboard the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that some estimates put the number affected by hunger in the USA at 35 million. 7,000 infants and toddlers live in Philadelphia households that are at risk for hunger.