FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
UNPRECEDENTED NEW STUDY PAINTS A DETAILED PORTRAIT OF FOOD INSECURITY IN WESTERN WASHINGTON
Western Washington cost per meal 8 cents higher than national average
{Seattle--- March 23, 2011}--- Food Lifeline and Feeding America, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, today released a landmark study, “Map the Meal Gap,” providing the first county by county look at key factors affecting hungry families in Western Washington.
Map the Meal Gap provides the following data for every county and congressional district in Western Washington and in the United States in an interactive map format:
ü The percentage of the Western Washington population by county who is food insecure, meaning that they are unsure of where their next meal will come from.
ü The percentage of the food insecure population in Western Washington by county who do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and often must rely on assistance of organizations like Food Lifeline and who also need better wages and employment opportunities to help them meet their families’ basic needs.
ü The average price per meal in Western Washington by county based on new research by The Nielsen Company.
“In Western Washington, an estimated 44 percent of the food insecure population, or more than 657,000 people, do not qualify for food stamps or other government programs.” said Linda Nageotte President & CEO of Food Lifeline. “To put that in perspective, a family of four earning just over $44,112 would not be eligible for assistance and might need to rely on an organization like Food Lifeline to consistently put food on the table.”
‘“Map the Meal Gap” also reveals that food costs vary significantly from county to county in Western Washington with Jefferson County showing the highest food costs, and Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties having the lowest food costs. Also, Western Washington’s average food cost was eight cents higher per meal than the national average, which creates an additional challenge for those struggling with hunger.
“We are hopeful that this new information will allow us to work with policy makers, state agencies, corporate partners and individual advocates to develop integrated strategies to fight hunger in Western Washington on a community by community level,” said Nageotte.
The findings of “Map the Meal Gap” are based on statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census Bureau, and food price data from The Nielsen Company. The study was supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Nielsen.
“Map the Meal Gap” was conducted using well-established, transparent methods. Data were analyzed by Feeding America in partnership with Dr. Craig Gundersen, Associate Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, Executive Director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory and member of Feeding America’s Technical Advisory Group.
A summary of the findings, an interactive map of the United States, and the full report are available on Feeding America's web site at www.feedingamerica.org
About Food Lifeline
Food Lifeline is a local hunger relief organization, efficiently serving the Western Washington area by using 96% of revenue to directly feed hungry people. Last year the organization delivered more than 24 million meals to hungry people through its network of nearly 300 food banks, meal programs and shelters. Food Lifeline is also a member of the national organization, Feeding America. For more information about Food Lifeline or to make a tax-deductible donation, visit www.foodlifeline.org or call 206-545-6600.
About Feeding America
Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to 37 million Americans each year, including nearly 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
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For further information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Ashley Gammell, Food Lifeline
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