At food banks, need is up, donations are down

Jan 2, 2023
Donations of both money and food are down. That's straining food banks at a time when more people are relying on them again.
“'Food shelf near me' is in the top 10 searches in our area," said Allison O’Toole at Minnesota's Second Harvest Heartland food bank.
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Ending hunger a battle on many fronts, over many months, says CEO of Feeding America

Inflation, supply chain problems and wealth disparities remain barriers to solving hunger, says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot of Feeding America.
Residents of Bronx, New York, received food donations in September. "Making meaningful, sustainable progress by the end of this decade is doable. We have to choose to do it," says Claire Babineaux-Fontenot.
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China's lockdowns continue to disrupt personal lives and the global economy

Sep 12, 2022
"There was a convenience shop owner nearby me who ate nothing but instant noodles for weeks," says Marketplace's Jennifer Pak.
A guard wears protective clothing as he stands next to a barrier fence outside a Beijing apartment under lockdown in June.
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For Social Security recipients, "there’s no keeping up" with rising costs

Aug 15, 2022
The program is expected to provide a large benefits increase in 2023. Until then, many on fixed incomes have to tighten their budgets.
Marketplace Senior Economics Contributor Chris Farrell outlines the benefits of this month's boost to government retiree benefits.
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The "hungriest summer": Food banks say food insecurity is rising again

Jul 18, 2022
Higher food prices and the loss of pandemic-era supports mean that not only are more families using food banks, they're visiting them more often, advocates say.
Staff and volunteers at the Hungry Monk food pantry prepare and distribute fruit and vegetables to local residents at their church in Queens, New York on March 26, 2022.
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Pandemic-driven poverty in New York City persists amid recovery, report finds

The report from Robin Hood and Columbia University sheds light on the enduring economic hardship faced by many New Yorkers.
New data from Robin Hood and Columbia University paint a picture of poverty in New York City amid multiple crises.
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How has the war in Ukraine affected global hunger?

Mar 10, 2022
Even if globally significant crops in the Ukraine and Russia are eventually harvested, the chief economist of the UN World Food Programme warns they may not make it out of either country.
Some 50% of the UN World Food Programme’s grain comes from areas of Ukraine and Russia.
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The increased child care tax credit has ended — for now

Jan 17, 2022
The payments typically came through about this time, but not this month. Some families had come to depend on that extra money.
A protestor and child in Brooklyn urge Congress to make the expanded child tax credit permanent in July.
Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for ParentsTogether

USDA program could help shore up local and regional food economies

Dec 13, 2021
The program will help state and tribal governments purchase locally produced food for nutritional assistance programs like food banks and school cafeterias.
USDA Choice beef is displayed for sale in a grocery store on November 11, 2021 in Los Angeles, California.
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How does increasing SNAP benefits help low-income families?

Kimberly Adams talks to Sharon Parrott, president of Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, about the expansion of food assistance.
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