Hunger on the Rise In Some Rural Counties

Incredibly, as things are tough and getting worse, hunger is growing all over the country and especially in rural counties.  Tragically, as this is happening, there is not an equivalent increase in donations to support these families.  If you believe that things are tough or that it is hard making ends meet, this is how it may affect you…

Volunteers distribute free food at the mobile pantry in Hurley, Va. Poverty in the coal-mining region is 29 percent, twice the national average. Pam Fessler/NPR One in eight Americans — 42 million people — still struggles to get enough to eat. Food banks that serve these areas are also feeling the squeeze, as surplus food supplies dwindle but the lines of people seeking help remain long.

Pantries in southwest Virginia — where poverty is rampant and coal jobs are vanishing — will take whatever they can get to stock bare shelves. Some also offer help with health care and job training.

In Some Rural Counties, Hunger Is Rising, But Food Donations Aren’t : The Salt : NPR