> Millions in US rely on food banks to meet basic needs
>
> New studies document growing hunger
>
> By Paul Scherrer 3 January 2001
>
> Four recently issued reports document the growing number of
> individuals and families with children who rely on soup kitchens and
> food banks in an attempt to meet basic food needs. The reports also
> emphasize the inability of charity-based organizations to respond to
> the growing demand for food assistance.
>
> Low wages, the high cost of housing and cuts in federally funded
> social programs have forced millions of people to turn to handouts
> in order to live.
>
> The reports were issued by the US Conference of Mayors; Second
> Harvest, the nation's largest collection of food banks; the Catholic
> Charities, the nation's largest charity organization; and by
> Anti-Hunger Action, a collaboration of the Illinois Hunger Coalition
> and the Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation.
>
> The US Conference of Mayors survey of 25 cities found that demand
> for food assistance is up an average of 17 percent over the past
> year. In 13 percent of cases, requests for food have gone unmet.
> Sixty-two percent of those requesting food were families with
> children and many people report depending upon food assistance as a
> steady source of nutrition over a long period of time. ( For a full
> analysis of the mayors' report see:
> http://www.wsws.org/articles/2000/dec2000/hung-d27.shtml.)
>
> Second Harvest reports that in 2000 they distributed nearly 50
> percent more food than they did in 1999, or 1.4 billion pounds.
> Despite this increase, they report that their affiliated food banks
> and soup kitchens are seeing a greater number of people and have had
> to turn away increasing numbers.
>
> Catholic Charities reports a 32 percent jump in emergency food
> assistance from 1998 to 1999. They report that through their
> agencies they assisted nearly 10 million people in 1999. The
> Illinois Hunger Coalition found a 30 to 35 percent rise in the
> number of households needing emergency food assistance since federal
> welfare reform legislation was enacted in 1996. Overall, there are
> an estimated 31 million people nationwide living in households where
> having enough food is not a sure thing.
>
> The enormous growth in people seeking private assistance is the
> result of low wages and government policies that have cut the
> federal welfare and Food Stamp programs. Since their high in 1994,
> welfare rolls have been cut in half as a result of changes in
> regulations enacted by Congress and signed into law in 1996 by the
> Clinton administration.
>
> Of those who have left welfare, only about half are currently
> working and most are earning only slightly more than the benefits
> they received while on welfare. Of those still on benefits, federal
> five-year limits will begin to expire next year.
>
> In addition, more than 8 million people have been cut from the
> federal Food Stamp program. While many are still eligible for the
> benefits, in a number of states policies have been enacted to
> deliberately make it more difficult for people to apply.
>
> In California, for instance, a Second Harvest survey of the Food
> Stamp application process found that an applicant must comply with
> the following instructions: "If you are a non-citizen applying for
> Medi-Cal and you are not (a) LPR (an alien who is a lawful permanent
> resident of the U.S.), (b) an amnesty alien with a valid and current
> I-688, or (c) PRUCOL (an alien permanently residing in the U.S.,
> under the color of law), please do not fill in the shaded box for
> 'Birthplace.'"
>
> Not only is this question unintelligible for most people, it is just
> one of over 100 such questions that an applicant must respond to
> before being considered for benefits in California. Once completing
> the application, a person must sign a statement that threatens
> penalties of up to $250,000 or 20 years in jail if responses to
> questions are found to be false.
>
> While applications for Food Stamp eligibility average 12 pages, in
> the states of Minnesota and West Virginia they are 30 pages long. By
> contrast, a school bus driver's application is only 2 pages long, an
> application for a gun permit only 2 pages, a federal home mortgage
> form only 4 pages.
>
> In addition, Food Stamp applicants must verify their income on a
> monthly basis to continue receiving benefits. This is especially
> difficult for the working poor, since it requires a trip to a
> government office, which can often take an entire working day.
>
> (from World Socialist Web Site, http://www/wsws/org)