In San Francisco, 150,000 people struggle each day to feed themselves and their families. Hunger manifests itself as a consistent lack of enough food to meet nutritional requirements. It can mean fewer meals each day and poor-quality food that is calorie-rich but nutrient-poor.
150,000 is the number of people who live at or below 150% of the federal poverty line: $26,400 per year for a family of three. Very often, these families lack the resources to provide enough food to consistently nourish themselves.
60% of the households who receive weekly groceries through the Food Bank include at least one working adult, while 18% of our clients are homeless. Hunger frequently strikes the most vulnerable people in our communities: 1 in 4 children and 1 in 4 seniors do not have access to enough food to meet their nutritional needs on a regular basis.
$22,880 is the income cutoff for Food Stamps for a family of three. That’s not even half of what it actually costs in San Francisco to raise a family. And at that income level, families are eligible for only the minimum monthly benefit of $10.
Yes. Hunger exists throughout San Francisco. In most neighborhoods, a minimum of 10% of the population experiences some kind of disruption to their daily nutritional needs.
The most recent Farm Bill has made some incremental improvements to the Food Stamp program. However, many people who are disqualified from governmental nutrition programs still do not earn enough to make ends meet and feed their families.
Check out our
resources on the incidence of hunger.
Learn more about people who live with the threat of hunger — participate in
Hunger 101 online.
Volunteer at the Food Bank.
