Nevada Statistics on Hunger

Hunger Statistics

With the national recession hitting northern Nevada particularly hard, more and more families are falling below the poverty line. Families-in-need often have to make hard choices such as deciding to skip meals in order to pay a power bill.

In 2010 we saw a huge increase in the number of people who are hungry.  In 2009, 124,000 people needed emergency food assistance.  In 2010, the Food Bank of Northern Nevada helped more than 153,000 people.  This number has increased by 60,000 from four years ago.

A study conducted by the Food Bank of Northern Nevada shows that in 2010, 49,665 children needed emergency food assistance.

Hunger has become a pressing fact of life for so many people that Sesame Street is introducing a new muppet, named Lily, whose family often struggles to put food on the table.

A recently published study: Hunger in America (October 5, 2011) found the following:

Children from food insecure households are more likely than their food secure peers to experience higher rates of various forms of educational problems. They are at least 50 percent more likely to miss days of school (1.6 times), nearly twice as likely to be suspended (1.95 times), and almost 50 percent more likely to have to repeat a grade (1.44) times.

These and other related adverse outcomes are linked to an increased likelihood of school failure, including dropping out of school.  These outcomes lead to a greater likelihood of limited employability, lessened workforce productivity, poorer judgment and job performance, and $260,000 lower lifetime earnings. Therefore since food insecurity impedes learning and school performance and ultimately lowers productivity and earning potential, hunger exacts a significant monetary cost.

Additional Facts and Statistics:

  • The average age of a homeless person is…9! (Needykids.com)
  • 85% of Homeless families are headed by single mothers escaping an abusive home.  Children that remain in an abusive home have an 80% chance of becoming an abuser or being abused and continuing the cycle. (Tufts University)
  • Nevada has the highest rate of women murdered or beaten to death by a male partner in the United States – nearly double the national average. (crimeinamerica.net)
  • The poverty rate for children under 18, is significantly higher than for any other age group. (National Coalition for the Homeless)
  • Someone making minimum wage would have to work 19 hours a day, 6 days a week to afford a 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment in Nevada and have no child care expenses. (The National Center on Family Homelessness)
  • Nevada has 10,434 homeless children, but only 79 emergency shelter units. (The National Center on Family Homelessness)
  • Every weekend almost 400 children in Carson City will go to bed hungry. (Jeanette Famoso-Ardinger, Carson City School District)
  • Almost 20% of all children living in Carson City under the age of 5 live in poverty (Lisa Keating, Ph.D.)
  • There are currently 1.5 million homeless children in the United States. (National Center on family homelessness www.familyhomelessness.org)
  • Nevada Ranks 45 in child homelessness (National Center on family homelessness www.familyhomelessness.org)
  • 1 in 33 children do not know when they will get their next meal. (National Center on family homelessness www.familyhomelessness.org)