Keyword Sponsor Donor Program

Most people are aware that hunger exists, but few recognize that it often afflicts families in their own neighborhood. Despite the apparent abundance of food in Colorado, hunger is on the rise and continues to threaten nearly 500,000 individuals a year. Lets take a little bit closer look at hunger in Colorado:

1 out of 10 people living in Colorado experience hunger (USDA)

11.1% of people (498,342) in Colorado live in poverty (FRAC)

Nearly 167,000 children (14.5%) in Colorado live in poverty (FRAC)

Colorado ranks 5th in States with an increase of 31.4% in food insecurity from 1999 to 2004 (Center on Hunger)

Colorado has experienced a decline in low-skill jobs that provide adequate wages, and an increase in low-skill jobs with low wages. (Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute)

One in five children are hungry or at risk of malnutrition (FRAC)

More than 172,000 children qualified for free or reduced fee school lunches last year _(FRAC)

More than 102,000 children (9.3%) live in high-poverty neighborhoods - where 20% or more of the population is below poverty (U.S. Census Bureau)

Studies indicate an annual income of $31,652 - more than twice the federal poverty level - is required for a family of three to live a stable and healthy lifestyle in Colorado_(Colorado Fiscal Policy Institute, 2004)

What, on average, does a typical food bank recipient look like?
77.8% of food bank clients are women, 8.7% are elderly and 40.7%
have at least one child under the age of 18 living in the house.
47.3 % of food bank recipients in Colorado have at least one
employed person in their household
49.1% choose between paying for food and paying for utilities.
31.1% choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or
medical care (Care and Share)

For moe information on hunger in Colorado please check out this link
Colorado Anti-hunger Network: www.coloradoantihungernetwork.org