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Poverty
and, thus, the risk of hunger is a reality for more
than a quarter of a million people living in the communities served
by Tarrant Area Food Bank. Children account for more than
one-third (35%) of these individuals who are living at or below
100% of poverty as defined by national
poverty thresholds used by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Malnourished children do not fully
develop physically, mentally or emotionally.
Numerous studies have documented that
hunger and malnutrition contribute to
behavioral problems and interfere with
a child’s ability to concentrate
in the classroom.
Others going
hungry are:
- Senior citizens on fixed incomes
- Single parents earning minimum wage
- Chronically ill or severely disabled
individuals
- Unemployed workers
- Homeless families and individuals
- Residents of suburbs and rural areas
as well as the inner city;
One-third of those receiving assistance through Tarrant Area
Food Bank's network of agencies live in rural areas and in bedroom
communities adjacent to Fort Worth.
  
The
faces of hunger are Caucasian, Hispanic, African-American,
Asian, Native American. They may be your neighbors. He or she
may be the child in school sitting next to your son or daughter.
The great majority (88%) of those receiving food assistance are
U.S. citizens.
The majority of people
seeking food assistance are not receiving government benefits.
Only 35% of the households seen by area agencies are receiving
Food Stamps. Government welfare, or Temporary Assistance to Needy
Families (TANF), was the main source of income for less than 1%
of households in 2005.
Among all households
served by the Tarrant Area Food
Bank network:
- Most do not have great numbers of children --- 68% of households
have three or fewer members and many households consist of one
elderly person;
- 47% of families with children younger than 18 are headed by
single parents;
- 55% have a total annual income of less than $10,000, whether
from employment, pensions, or some form of Social Security;
- 50% are having to choose whether to buy food or pay for utilities;
- 46% are forced to choose between paying for medicine/medical
care and buying groceries.
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