Washington D.C.—A USDA report released on November 16th found the highest rate of “food insecurity” since the report was initiated 13 years ago. Almost one in six American households, or 17 million households, are food insecure—what you and I would call “hungry.”

That’s a 30% increase in just one year. Put another way, 4 million more households—equal to the entire population of New York City—went hungry in 2008.

Hunger is seen as the direct result of poverty. But not everyone in a hungry household is unemployed: Often there was at least one full- or part-time worker.

A USDA staffer said, “Well, it’s not necessarily chronic hunger” (year-round hunger) but went on to explain that it could be hunger experienced during seven of the 12 months.

That’s a staggering indictment of the richest country in the world.

Well-established USDA child nutrition programs such as WIC help feed families. Thirty-one million children receive a healthy meal each school day—for some, this is their most substantial meal that day. And fortunately while we wait for the Child Nutrition Act to be renewed next year, an additional $1 billion has been added to the school lunch budget. WIC received additional support as well. To be approved, both may depend on spending offsets (cuts) elsewhere in the budget.

According to USDA Secretary Vilsack, if you look beyond our shores, “a billion people are food insecure worldwide. This despite the best efforts of developed nations.” Make you want throw up your hands?

Don’t. Reach for your keyboard and wallet instead. Here are four easy ways to help:

Make a Difference

1. Encourage your members of Congress to quickly reauthorize the Child Nutrition Act. Truly combating hunger requires an annual $1 billion in additional funding over the next ten years.  Focus on healthier school meals and a staff trained to prepare them in an appetizing manner.
2. Support small local farmers by buying a share in a CSA. A CSA is an upfront payment to receive food all season long from local farmers. Your average cost per pound will be less than farmers’ markets or big box stores, and the money goes directly to farmers rather than middlemen. If you know a family in need, buy a CSA share for them as a direct gift.
3. Donate to Feeding America, is a network of 200 food banks in 50 states that distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated groceries annually to 63,000 local charitable agencies.
4. Volunteer at a local food bank or pantry.

For more on the USDA report.

For snapshot of the candy being pitched as food to students and a picture of a school meal, click here.