According to the USDA, more than 34 million Americans experience food insecurity, including a potential 9 million children.
Hunger is an issue that is not exclusive to Weld County, or even Colorado. All across this country there are people like you and me impacted by hunger every day. There are families living in the heart of large cities who can’t afford to adequately feed their children. There are farmers whose harvest was destroyed and now lack enough food. There are construction workers losing time at work due to weather delays which takes away much needed money from their paychecks.
Two groups that are the most impacted by hunger in America are children and seniors. There are 9 million children under the age of 18 that live in households where there is not consistent access to nutritious food. The impact of this is more than an empty stomach. Children who are hungry fall behind physically, cognitively, academically, emotionally and socially. Likewise, 5.2 million seniors over the age of 60 are facing hunger in America. After working hard their entire lives, they are now faced with increased health issues. However, living on a fixed income increases the risk that they will not be able to afford the healthy foods they need.