No one is exempt from hard times. What happened to David and Lisa could happen to any of us.
There are families across the country facing the same – or even worse – challenges than the family you met in this video. That’s why it is so important for us to support one another – through thick and through very, very thin.
Here is one of what I believe to be the most powerful statements about Feeding America: Feeding America provides the fuel needed to survive and even thrive. This organization is providing more than food – we are feeding hope to millions of people every year.
David and Lisa hit a rough patch, they could barely make ends meet and didn’t have the means to keep their children fed on their own anymore. Because of the Greater Boston Food Bank – one of the more than 200 food banks in Feeding America’s network – and their local food pantry, they made it. And now, they can thrive.
Many of you may have heard the new devastating statistics released by the USDA this week. If not, let me recap.
In 2008, 49 million Americans were at risk of hunger. That is an increase of 13 million from the 36 million Americas reported food insecure in 2007. That means 1 in 6 Americans is now struggling with hunger. And remember, these numbers are from 2008. In 2009, things have been significantly worse, and I am afraid to see what the totals come out to be next year.
So, David and Lisa are not alone in their struggles. There are so many families, children, students and grandparents just like them. But none of them are alone.
Together, with our generous and responsive corporate donors like Walmart, the food banks in our network, and the 63,000 agencies in communities across the country will be there to make sure that they don’t just survive – they can thrive.