To hear the U.S. Department of Agriculture tell it, Americans who can’t get enough to eat are no longer “hungry.” No, they’re suffering from “food insecurity.”
That’s the upshot of a key government status report on hunger in America. Leave it to the policymakers in Washington to fuzz up what should be a basic assessment that relies on common-sense nomenclature.
The study found that the number of “food-insecure” households nationwide – those that couldn’t feed everyone consistently throughout the year – dropped from 11.9 percent in 2004 to 11 percent in 2005.
The invocation of the food-insecure label makes us wonder whether the terminology change is an effort to soften the reality that in such a wealthy country, 35 million people cannot reliably put food on the table.
While the report shows the percentage of hungry folks dropped nationally, the situation is worse in Colorado. Among 50 states, Colorado shows the third-largest increase in the country in food insecurity.
Twelve percent of Colorado households can’t feed everyone reliably.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture calculates statewide averages over several years. From 2000-02 to 2003-05, the USDA says the number of food insecure Colorado households went up 2.8 percent.
Those who work local food banks see the impact of this disturbing trend in the ranks of needy families who sought Thanksgiving food baskets. “People can say what they want about the economy turning around, but this speaks to the huge gap between those doing well and those with a rough time,” Jim White of the Colorado branch of the Volunteers of America told The Post. “There’s nothing in the middle anymore.”
VOA’s Thanksgiving vouchers were depleted faster than ever this year. The Food Bank of the Rockies also experienced overwhelming demand.
There are other troubling indicators. For five consecutive years, the percentage of Colorado school children qualifying for free or reduced-price school lunches has been rising. In 2005, 33.7 percent of Colorado’s school children qualified. In Denver alone, more than 46,000 children were eligible.
Each year over the last few years, an estimated 479,000 Coloradans at some point couldn’t find a meal. It’s a startling statistic in a state blessed with a relatively healthy economy. When the new legislature convenes in January and considers priorities, we hope it will review assistance programs for our most vulnerable citizens. Regardless of whether they’re “food insecure” or just plain hungry, they need our help.
