Hunger in CT

Connecticut is the wealthiest state in the nation; there should be no hunger. Yet, every day
some Connecticut residents wonder where their next meal will come from. Without food, a
family cannot function, a child cannot learn and an adult cannot work. None will be healthy. Good nutrition, and regular meals,  put a family, a child, a working person on the road to self-sufficiency.  End Hunger Connecticut! is effective in creating policies that support good nutrition and work to eliminate hunger. Using the tools of education, research, outreach and advocacy we are committed to creating a Connecticut where everyone has access to healthy, affordable food.


Terms:

Hunger: The uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food.

Food Security: Access by all people at all times to enough nutritious food for an active, healthy life.

Food Insecurity: The lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources. There are different levels of food insecurity.

• Marginal Food Security (has been defined as food secure) - Anxiety over food sufficency or shortages. Little or no changes in diet or food intake.

• Low Food Security (has been defined as food insecurity without hunger) - Reduced quality, variety or desirability of  food because of limited funds.

• Very Low Food Security (has been defined as food insecurity with hunger) - Disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake because there is not enough food for the household. Results in adults and children cutting back or skipping meals on a regular basis.

Food Hardship: Lack of money to buy the food a family needs.

A town-by-town display of food assistance and food insecurity statistics. Information is updated as new program data becomes available.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) annual report released in September 2012, 11.9% of Connecticut households struggled with food insecurity (low and very low food security).  This is a .8% decrease over the prior report released in 2011. View the Report Here.

Food Hardship: A Closer Look at Hunger

More than 15% of households in Connecticut reported not having enough money to buy the food that they needed during the first six months of 2012, according to a new report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC).

Data on food hardhip-the inability to afford enough food-is available for every state, every Congressional District and for 100 of the country's largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) including the following MSAs in Connecticut: Bridgeport-Stamford-Norwalk, Hartford-West Hartford, East Hartford and New Haven-Milford.

According to a 2011 food hardship report, in households with children, almost 1 in 5 or 18.8% struggled to put food on the table.  Read the report here.