Tag Archives: hunger in the U.S.

Poverty in the U.S.: The Stories You Don’t Hear

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The home page for Bus 52 where you can keep track of where the bus is going and view the videos of where they've been.

It’s easy to become mired in hunger and poverty statistics. As people the world over struggle with economic stagnation, and more and more people slip below the poverty line, it’s not often that stories of hope and happiness make the airwaves. So I was particularly struck by a story I saw on The Huffington Post last week which highlighted the work of Bus 52. 

Bus 52 is a documentary film project led by five young people who are traveling the United States on a converted school bus. Their aim is to tell the stories of people and/or organizations who are having a positive impact in their communities. While they don’t focus solely on what’s being done to combat hunger here at home, the article in the Huffington Post focused on that subject in particular. And I have to say, it was nice to hear some positives for a change.

Take the Generous Garden Project in South Carolina, for example. Local Bo Cable started an organic garden for the folks of Greenville after he saw a need in the area and after noticing that food banks had a dearth of fresh vegetables. “We just give it away,” Cable says in the Bus 52 video. “No questions asked.”

There are a number of other projects highlighted like the free cafe for the needy run by student volunteers at The University of Kansas, or the urban farming project run by Nat Turner in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans. All admirable, and all reminiscent of how Heifer is working to help achieve food security and grow agricultural jobs through our Seeds of Change initiative.

So take a minute to remind yourself that there’s a need right here at home, and another to be inspired by all the things that are being done in communities just like yours.

Is there a happy story in your community that maybe we don’t know about? Tell us!

Who’s Hungry?

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As if the estimate that 1 billion people in the world are hungry wasn’t hard enough to fathom, a new survey developed by researchers in the United States, Colombia and Brazil suggests the number could actually be twice that.

The new survey, which requires people to report on their food consumption over a period of three months, is a departure from the facts and figures-based method the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization used to come up with the 1 billion figure. The FAO made their estimate by comparing how much food is available, divided by the population. If the number of calories available for each person is too low, those numbers were used to estimate how many people are food insecure.

The new survey, called ELCSA (for Escala Latinoamericana y Caribena de Seguridad Alimentaria), takes a more personal approach. Based on the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module used by the Department of Agriculture, ELCSA yields more nuanced information. Results show where in a country hunger is most pernicious, which groups are hungry at greater rates and whose diets are adequate in calories but not nutrients.

Initial results from surveys conducted in Brazil and Colombia suggest hunger is a much larger issue than we knew. The survey is already being adopted in other Central and South American countries.

WalMart Cutting Cost for Fresh Fruits and Veggies

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Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world’s largest retailer, announced Tuesday that it is launching an effort to get healthier foods into homes by cutting the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables, lowering the sodium and sugar content in their “Great Value” brand, and by adding a “Great For You” label to foods high in nutritional value.


And they have a powerful ally in First Lady Michelle Obama.


“The largest corporation in America is launching a new initiative that has the potential to transform the marketplace and help American families put healthier food on their tables,” Obama said at the announcement.


And while this move may help improve WalMart’s bottom line, at Heifer we know all too well that too many people in the United States have a limited or uncertain availability to nutritionally adequate foods.


Since we also just launched the Seeds of Change project, which aims to do the same thing in a different way—by creating sustainable food systems in Arkansas and Appalachia with smallholder farmers—to see such a powerful player like WalMart step in and help make better foods affordable to more people is a positive step.


The Seed of Change is Planted in Hughes

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Heifer CEO Pierre Ferrari and Pearlie S. Reed of the
 USDA sign a proclamation of their support for the Delta.
Photo by Russell Powell.

As we mentioned in an earlier post, Heifer and USDA officials on Monday marked a joint focus on areas of the impoverished Arkansas Delta. The flatlands there are some of the poorest parts of the United States.

The ceremony took place in the town of Hughes, a place where, despite a dwindling population, drug abuse, narrow opportunities and poverty, many residents still share a sense of place and hope for their children.

Photo by Russell Powell.

There’s one store to buy food in Hughes, one gas station and a diner. Some homes in town are tidy and neat, defying their age, while others have caved-in roofs, boarded-up windows and insulation bursting from the walls. It can be difficult to distinguish the abandoned houses from the occupied ones.

Photo by Russell Powell.

At Monday’s ceremony, all the people who are trying to turn Hughes around – scores of them – gathered to celebrate the new Seeds of Change program. Its aim is to increase income in this agricultural area by building up a sustainable local food system.

The produce section at Hughes’ grocery store.
Photo by Russell Powell.

One speaker, Dr. Robert Cole, the director of the East Arkansas Enterprise Community, mentioned the Bible verse that says even if you only have faith as tiny as a mustard seed, nothing will be impossible to you. “Today,” Cole said, “the seed is planted.”


Cole was saying that with hope and hard work, we can create something much, much larger than anyone envisioned at the beginning.

Heifer CEO Pierre Farrari was given a new hat by Delta officials.
He’s joined by Robert Cole of EAEC and Theodore Eldridge, Sr.
Photo by Russell Powell.

When Cole said, “Today, the seed is planted,” I looked around and knew it to be true. Seeing all the people, from inside and outside Hughes, gathered with such hope and excitement, I saw that Hughes is fertile ground in more ways than one.


Leaders in the town are ready for positive change, and with the right plan, Heifer International will now be a partner in their transformation.

Heifers in the Delta

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Photo by Russell Powell, courtesy of Heifer International

Several Heifer staff, including CEO Pierre Ferrari, have traveled to Hughes, Arkansas, today to meet with  United States Department of Agriculture leaders in celebration of Heifer’s commitment to working in USDA StrikeForce areas.

Heifer recently launched the first phase of our Seeds of Change Project, which aims to improve the income of small farmers in areas of Appalachia and the Arkansas Delta region. It also aims to make healthy foods more accessible to hungry families in the United States by creating sustainable food systems.

Heifer will be working in Woodruff, Monroe, Cross, Crittenden, St. Francis, Lee, Phillips, Prairie and Lonoke counties in Arkansas. Most of these Delta counties are part of USDA’s StrikeForce Initiative.

The StrikeForce Initiative is designed to help relieve persistent poverty in high-poverty counties by accelerating USDA assistance while working closely with community based organizations. USDA is currently piloting this initiative in 137 counties in Arkansas, Georgia and Mississippi.

Pierre Ferrari will appear along with USDA Assistant Secretary for Administration Pearlie S. Reed to offer a commitment to impoverished areas of the Arkansas Delta. We’ll have more here on Heifer Blog when our colleagues return with reflections on the event.

How to End Hunger This Thanksgiving

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“If you can’t feed a hundred people, feed just one.”

- Mother Theresa



1. Volunteer at a Soup Kitchen


Whether you have Thanksgiving lunch or dinner with your family, why not add a new tradition of volunteering at a soup kitchen this holiday? Call your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter and ask to volunteer this weekend. 

2. Buy One, Donate One

While doing your Thanksgiving grocery shopping, add some extra to your cart. For every canned item you buy, buy one more and then donate to your local food bank. 

3. Only Take What You Can Eat

It’s tempting on Thanksgiving day to fill a plate full with all the goodness of turkey, mashed potatoes and desserts. This Thursday, try to only take what you will eat. 

4. Invite Over Those in Need

Know someone who will be spending the holidays alone or a family who can’t afford to have their own Thanksgiving? Invite them over to your holiday celebration dinner. No better way to be thankful than sharing what you have with others. 

5. Share Heifer’s Mission 

It’s simple. Heifer’s mission is to end hunger and poverty while caring for the Earth. How do we do this? We help families lift themselves out of poverty with sustainable methods such as livestock and agriculture.  Gather your entire family around the computer this Thanksgiving and watch our quick 60-second video about Heifer. 

1 in 15 Americans are Considered Poorest of the Poor

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In September, the Census Bureau report released that 46.2 million Americans were living in poverty. That is 1 in every 6 U.S. citizens, an alarming number of people for a country listed as the world’s richest. Today it was announced that 20.5 million Americans–1 in 15 persons–are the poorest of the poor by United States standards.

Extreme poverty in the United States is defined as those living at 50 percent or below the federal poverty level. The poverty level in 2010 was an anual income of $22,314 for a family of four. The income level of a family of four who is considered the poorest of poor is $11,157 or less.

Almost half of those living in poverty are living in extreme poverty. The poverty numbers are increasing across all areas of the country. When broken down by region, the South sees higher poverty in states like Mississippi, Louisiana and Georgia; but high-poverty areas are also starting to grow to the industrial Midwest and Sun Belt areas.

Those living in high-poverty neighborhoods (where more than 40 percent of residents are below poverty) in a large metropolitan area saw a jump from 11.2 percent in 2000 to 15.1 percent in 2010.  In comparison, those who live in high-poverty neighborhoods in the suburbs rose by 41 percent compared to  2000.

Americans living in poverty might not be what you’d expect to see. Working-age Americans  - ages 18 to 64 – now represent nearly 3 out of 5 Americans who live in poverty.

More information will be released next week with additional demographics of exactly who is poverty in America. Stay tuned, this conversation is far from over.

When Poverty Touches Home

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Though I wasn’t born in Arkansas, I’ve lived here since I was four and consider it my home. Growing up in a small town, I’ve witnessed poverty and hunger with classmates, participated in local food drives, and had my parents teach me valuable lessons on how to give to others. When I decided to go to college, the best fit for me seemed to be Arkansas State University in Jonesboro, AR. 


In college it’s harder to know the hunger and poverty around you. As a college student, everyone seems broke and hungry. Even though I was a little more removed from actually seeing those going through hunger hardships than I was growing up, I continued participating in food drives with local college clubs. 


If you keep up with the Heifer blog then you see the Weekly Article Roundup blog where I try to discuss blogs that we’ve written here, other articles that we pass around the office and current trends in the world. Yesterday, I received this article about America’s Poorest Cities, and two of the cities on the list were in Arkansas. After reading it, I knew that I didn’t want to wait until Friday to post it.


Here recently, I’ve discussed U.S. poverty a couple of different times. The fact that 1 out of 6 persons in America is living in poverty, how 14.7 million children currently live in poverty, and how Heifer has just recently participated in the first Little Rock Heathy Food and Active Living Summit. 


Working at Heifer, I know there is a lot of poverty in the U.S. and globally, but when it is pointed out in the town you spent four years in, it’s a little shocking. My college town of Jonesboro, AR was number eight on the list, while number two was Pine Bluff, AR, which is just around 30 minutes from Little Rock, AR, where Heifer has its headquarters. I was a little stunned to say the least. 


Jonesboro, AR, with a population of 120,365, has a median household income of $35,526, and 25.5% of the population lives below the federal poverty line. Around 2.6 million people in the U.S. slipped below the poverty line in 2010, which is defined by an income of $22,314 for a family of four. In Pine Bluff, AR, which has a population of 99,871, the median household income is $33,446, and more than 22% of the city’s residents live below the poverty line. 


Many times it’s hard to see hunger, and unless you’re experiencing it, it can be easy to forget. So how do we all take responsibility to help end hunger in our communities? Begin to learn the facts in your hometowns. Find out what the need is. Spread the word that hunger happens to more people than we know. 


Check out www.heifer.org/usa to see what Heifer is doing to help end hunger in the U.S. 

World Food Day: Food Prices–From Crisis to Stability

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Today is Blog Action Day 2011. It is also World Food Day. This year’s theme for Blog Action Day is Food. Bloggers all over the world are writing about this one theme, from their own unique perspective. To find out more, visit the Blog Action Day website. Read more of our Blog Action Day posts on Heifer Blog here.


Happy World Food Day, everyone.

When you have plenty, food is something to celebrate. For those who lack enough, however, it can be a daily struggle. Food security is defined by the World Health Organization as existing “when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.” Before Heifer enters the picture, our project participants are food insecure. When you’re food insecure, you might have enough food to feed your family breakfast and lunch, but not dinner. You might have enough food for your children, but not yourself. You might have enough food five days a week, but not seven; or during the harvest months, but not the thin months.

Food insecurity is scary, and there are many factors that contribute to the situation. A significant factor that has been getting a lot of attention lately is the rising cost of food. That’s the theme for this year’s World Food Day: Food Prices–From Crisis to Stability. Today we are called to “look seriously at what causes swings in food prices, and do what needs to be done to reduce their impact on the weakest members of global society.”

Those weakest members of society? Those are Heifer’s participants. At least, that’s one way to describe them before they receive their gifts of training and livestock. Our work can play a big role in helping families protect themselves against the negative impacts of volatile food prices. Because when you’re empowered to grow much of the food your family needs, you’re way less reliant on the global–and even local–food economy. That’s just as true here in the United States, but it’s strikingly more significant in developing countries, which account for 98 percent of the world’s 925 million hungry people in 2010.

What do you think? What else can be done to reduce the impact of rising food costs on the poor and hungry?

Today is also Blog Action Day, which has the appropriate theme of Food this year. Stay tuned here on Heifer Blog for a series of posts by some of our own Heifer staff with their thoughts on food.

Weekly Article Roundup: Preparing for World Food Day 2011

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Maegan’s taking a much needed mini-vacation, so it’s Brooke here with your Weekly Article Roundup.

I’d like to use this Roundup to prepare us for World Food Day, which is Sunday.

This year’s topic for World Food Day is Food Prices–From Crisis to Stability. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations wants us to consider what causes major swings in food prices and what can be done to reduce the impact of food prices on the poor and hungry in the world.
We posted about a New York Times editorial back in December 2010 warning of a food crisis in 2011. It’s terribly unfortunate that this prediction has come true. Rising food prices has been a significant factor in the famine in East Africa.
Rising food prices is a complicated situation, and it’s happening over much of the world. In Bolivia, the price for quinoa–an extremely nutritious crop grown and consumed in Bolivia for centuries–has risen to a price many Bolivians can’t afford. The cause: the increased demand for quinoa in the United States and Europe. The effects: poor Bolivians are eating cheaper, less nutritious foods instead.
In June this year, Maegan wrote about the OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2011-2020 and asked us what changes we’ve had to make in our own lives to avoid higher grocery bills. 
Rising food prices aren’t just affecting the poor in developing countries. Families in the United States are being hit by higher grocery bills. Even Sesame Street is tackling food insecurity.
And if you need a reminder of why we need to work to stabilize food prices–so children and families won’t starve–you can go back to this video and see for yourself. We must act now; we must act fast; we must act big.
In addition to Sunday being World Food Day, it’s also Blog Action Day 2011, which has a complimentary theme of Food. Stay tuned for a series of posts from Heifer staff on topics related to food on Sunday in honor and celebration of the day.