A Blueprint to End Hunger, June 2004, 24 pages.

This "blueprint," created by the National Anti- Hunger Organizations (NAHO), maps out an effective and targeted strategy to address hunger throughout the United States. NAHO is made up of 13 of America's most prominent anti-hunger organizations, including the Center on Hunger and Poverty.

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Understanding Food Security Data and Methodology, March 2004, 7 pages.

This report answers many of the most commonly asked questions about food security data and the methodology behind how it is collected and measured. This publication answers questions about how to use state data, individual versus household data, the availability of regional, county, and/or local food security data, the use of poverty data in determining food security prevalence, and comparing data over time.

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The Paradox of Hunger and Obesity in America, July 2003, 5 pages.

This joint report by the Center on Hunger and Poverty and the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), examines the emerging and seemingly paradoxical relationship between hunger, food insecurity and obesity. The report examines the health risks of both hunger/food insecurity and obesity, and how both of these serious threats can co-exist in the same household. The analysis highlights recent research and describes how lack of adequate resources for food can contribute to weight gain.

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The Millennium Declaration to End Hunger in the U.S., June 2003, 1 page.

Leading anti-hunger groups urge the nation's leaders and all people to join together to end hunger in America.

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Hunger and Food Insecurity Among the Elderly, February 2003, 11 pages.

This report examines the nutritional needs of older Americans and the negative consequences of food insecurity and hunger on their health. It provides up-to-date information on the demographics of today's elderly population along with detailed data on poverty, vital nutrition programs designed to aid low-income and at-risk elderly populations, and the barriers many face while trying to access these programs.

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Hunger and Food Insecurity in the Fifty States: 1998-2000, August 2002, 9 pages.

Using federal food security supplement data, this report ranks all states in the nation on the prevalence of both hunger and food insecurity for the three-year period ending in 2000. The analysis also identifies the number of individuals in food secure and hungry households in each state.

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The Consequences of Hunger and Food Insecurity for Children – Evidence from Recent Scientific Studies, June 2002, 12 pages.

While food insecurity and hunger are closely connected to poverty, direct research evidence linking family food hardship to health, behavioral, and other outcomes in children is now emerging. The report highlights recent findings showing the adverse consequences of hunger and food insecurity for children. The findings are grouped into three broad areas: health consequences, psychosocial and behavioral impacts, and learning and academic outcomes. A section on the relationship between food insecurity and obesity is also included, since this is an issue receiving growing attention.

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Household Food Security Study Summaries - 2001 Edition, July 2001, 91 pages.

This publication comprehensively surveys the rapidly growing field of household food security measurement, providing summaries of all studies released since 1997 that use the USDA Food Security Core Module. The report features detailed summaries of 40 separately released or published reports from 22 states and Canada, as well as easy-to-use indices of study summaries, including a state location index and an index by the population or topic investigated (welfare recipients, legal immigrants, low-income populations, and others).

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Food Insecurity and Hunger Among Households Leaving Welfare in Massachusetts: A Review of Recent Findings from the MA Department of Transitional Assistance, February 2001, 13 pages.

Evidence gathered by the MA Department of Transitional Assistance indicates sharply increased food insecurity among former welfare recipient households. There is, however, a lack of correspondence between this evidence and how it was analyzed and presented in the Department's report. The degree of food insecurity and hunger among these households suggests considerable cause for concern about the nutritional status of families leaving welfare in Massachusetts and their ability to feed their children and other household members.

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Hunger in the United States: A Summary of Recent Studies on Hunger and Emergency Food Demand, August 2000, 53 pages.

Designed as an annotated resource guide, this report summarizes the objectives, methods, and key hunger and food insecurity findings from over fifty hunger-related studies conducted since 1998 in twenty-two states. Studies are grouped by survey location and are listed chronologically by publication date.

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Paradox of Our Times – Hunger in a Strong Economy, January 2000, 27 pages.

This report presents the most current evidence on food insecurity and hunger in America, identifies the key forces driving these phenomena in what is now the longest economic expansion since the Vietnam War, and, finally, provides a comprehensive framework for structuring efforts to address the problems that millions of American households have in finding sufficient resources to fee their family members.

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Community Gardening in Rural Regions – Enhancing Food Security and Nutrition, December 1999, 8 pages.

From September to November 1999, the Center on Hunger and Poverty conducted a survey of rural community garden projects. This report presents model alternatives for community gardening projects in rural areas; analyzes the pros and cons associated with these models; and identifies obstacles to gardening in rural areas as well as their possible solutions.

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Household Food Security Study Summaries, April 1999, 21 pages.

This report provides detailed summaries of ten national and sub-state food security survey studies that use the new federally-approved Food Security Core Module, an 18-item household survey instrument.

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Childhood Hunger, Childhood Obesity: An Examination of the Paradox, 1999, 6 pages.

Even as childhood obesity rates are on the rise, the latest federal data on food security finds that 14 million American children live in homes where there is not always enough food to eat. This apparent paradox has led some analysts to misconstrue the trends, arguing that childhood obesity is greatest among poor children, and thus they cannot be hungry. This report examines the latest data on hunger and obesity among children.

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The Importance of Food Stamps for Legal Immigrants, May, 1998. 5 pages.

As a result of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, nearly one million low-income legal immigrants were denied food stamp benefits. Failure to restore funding for food stamps will cause hundreds of thousand of legal immigrants to remain at risk of food insecurity, hunger, and undernutrition.

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Statement on the Link Between Nutrition and Cognitive Development in Children, 1998. 16 pages.

This document describes research on the relationship between nutrition and children's cognitive and behavioral development, and shows a clear threat to the intellectual development of children who do not receive adequate nutrition. The evidence strongly indicates the need for policies and programs that prevent or mediate the effects of undernutrition on children's development.

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Analysis of the Capacity of the Second Harvest Network to Cover the Federal Food Stamp Shortfall from 1997 to 2002, 1997, 11 pages.

Food stamp cuts, which were part of the 1997 welfare policy changes, were the largest cutbacks in any federal food program in the nation's history. This report disputes the prediction that the resulting food shortfalls among low-income families will be made up by increases in the amount of food provided by private charities.

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Impact of Food Stamps on the Dietary Adequacy of Poor Children, June 1995. 16 pages.

Low-income children ages 1 to 5 are far more likely to be deficient in major nutrients when their families do not receive food stamps. [This study is the second of a two-part series on nutritional deprivation among low-income children.]

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Differences in Nutrient Adequacy Among Poor and Non-Poor Children, March 1995, 28 pages.

This analysis demonstrates that, compared to non-poor children, high proportions of poor children have nutrient intakes substantially below the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs). Intakes of all sixteen nutrients covered by the 1986 Nationwide Food Consumption Survey and Continuing Survey of Food intakes by Individuals (CSFII) are analyzed using USDA data. The extent of substandard nutrient intakes among millions of poor youngsters corresponds with independent data on widespread hunger among the nation's poor children.

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Statement by the Physicians Committee on Childhood Hunger: Will Congress Produce More Hungry Children?, 1995, 1 page.

Radical new proposals by the 1994 Congress would weaken every U.S. nutrition program--jeopardizing child nutrition programs, hot meals for the elderly, and nutritional supplements for infants. One proposal in the "Contract with America" would cut or cripple the very anti-hunger programs that Republicans and Democrats in Congress developed.

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12 Million Hungry Children, June 10, 1993, 6 pages.

This analysis addresses childhood hunger in the U.S., and the effects of recession years 1990 and 1991.

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30 Million Hungry Americans, September 8, 1992, 3 pages.

This report was written in response to a request by the House Select Committee on Hunger to review existing estimates of the number of hungry Americans. In particular, the Center on Hunger and Poverty examined the plausibility of testimony by Dr. Vincent Breglio, a national survey researcher, who reported that some 30 million Americans experience hunger. Hunger estimates derived from two models were compared to the findings of Dr. Breglio.

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Hunger in America, the Growing Epidemic, 1985, (book) 231 pages.

This book documents the reappearance of hunger in America using statistical and descriptive data gathered from across the country by the Physician Task Force on Hunger. It covers the impact of malnutrition on health, as well as the reasons for hunger in the U.S. and solutions for eliminating it.

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Food for Thought, 1995, VIDEO

Child star Elijah Wood hosts this 20 minute video on child hunger in America. In this video, political leaders, hunger advocates, and school administrators speak about the importance of breakfast and feeding our children. Hungry children are ill-prepared to learn in school, and this will have dramatic effects on society today and tomorrow. Ending hunger is possible if there is the political will to support the necessary measures.

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Breaking Child Nutrition Barriers: Innovative Practices in Massachusetts School Breakfast, Summer Food and After-School Snack Programs, 2003, 46 pages.

This report examines the administrative and operational barriers facing School Breakfast, Summer Food Service, and After-School Snack Programs in Massachusetts and presents innovative solutions that program sponsors can implement to overcome these barriers. This report also includes examples of programs that have successfully overcome similar barriers. This report also offers some important resources for sponsors looking to implement any of the innovative solutions described in the report.

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A Guide to Universal Free School Breakfast Programs, 1999, 22 pages.

Many schools embrace breakfast as a critical component of the school day, but program coverage, especially among high-risk children, often lags. An important step for child advocates and educators is to boost participation by offering breakfast free to all students, regardless of their ability to pay. This report provides information regarding the use of universal free breakfast programs, the options available, basic operational issues and useful ideas from schools that have successful universal programs.

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Running the Summer Food Program in Rural Areas: Major Issues and Model Programs, 1997, 16 pages.

For many low-income children who rely upon the School Breakfast and Lunch Programs, summer is a time of scarce resources and hunger. The federal Summer Food Program helps to protect children when school is out, but there are inherent difficulties and relatively higher costs associated with operating a program in rural areas with low population density. This report provides suggestions for dealing with these issues and also highlights innovative summer food sites in rural areas. See also "50 Ways to Run the Summer Food Program on a Low Budget: A Guide for a Cost Effective SFSP" (1997).

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50 Ways to Run the Summer Food Program on a Low Budget: A Guide for a Cost-Effective SFSP, 1997, 10 pages.

The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) helps extend the nutritional and educational benefits of the school breakfast and lunch programs when school is not in session. However, many communities and organizations do not offer the program because they are unaware of this resource, or because they believe the program is too costly. This booklet provides 50 ways to overcome these obstacles through using cost-effective purchasing and menu practices, recruiting volunteers, providing inexpensive recreational and educational activities, identifying community funding sources and identifying inexpensive transportation.

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Strengthening WIC Farmers' Markets: A Summary of State Strategies, October 1996, 16 pages, 8 references.

Farmers' markets – sites where local farmers gather on a regular basis to sell produce directly to consumers – can play a vital role in addressing food insecurity in low-income communities. The WIC Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) provides additional coupons to targeted WIC recipients enabling them to purchase fresh produce at local farmers' markets. This document examines and provides strategies to address three main issues integral to the success of FMNP: 1) educating WIC clients to use the FMNP, 2) accessing the markets by WIC clients, and 3) market quality.

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Central Falls' Kids First: a Case Study, March 1996, 25 pages.

Central Falls' Kids First, a three-year initiative in Central Falls, Rhode Island, was designed to eradicate local childhood hunger through the expansion of federal child nutrition programs in a small, densely populated, ethnically diverse and low-income city in northeastern Rhode Island. This initiative adopted and achieved four goals: (1) School Breakfast expansion, (2) Summer Feeding Program expansion, (3) WIC expansion, and (4) nutrition education. A useful tool for replicating the program in other communities, this document details the results of the baseline community assessment, the programs and objectives implemented, and the project outcomes.

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Evaluation of a Universally-Free School Breakfast Program Demonstration Project: Central Falls, Rhode Island, January 1996, 19 pages.

This report evaluates one element of the Kids First Project of Central Falls, RI, namely changing the School Breakfast Program to a universally-free program. The evaluation finds that the universal program significantly increased program participation, especially among nutritionally vulnerable and impoverished students; significantly lowered rates of tardiness and absence among participants; and reduced the number of children entering their classrooms without having eaten breakfast. In addition, the nutrient intakes of children in Central Falls schools who participated in the Universal School Breakfast Program were significantly better that the nutrient intakes of children who did not participate in the program.

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Impact of Food Stamps on the Dietary Adequacy of Poor Children, June 1995. 16 pages.

Low-income children ages 1 to 5 are far more likely to be deficient in major nutrients when their families do not receive food stamps. [This study is the second of a two-part series on nutritional deprivation among low-income children.]

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Exploring Healthy Eating: Activities for Parents and Children Together, 1997, 34 pages.

This guide gives ways for parents and caregivers to teach their young children good eating habits. It shows how parents and children can explore healthy eating at meal time, in the kitchen, at the grocery store, and at story time. There are 8 teaching units on how to:

* Keep children's minds on learning
* Encourage good eating habits
* Make mealtimes pleasant and a time for learning
* Prepare economical meals
* Shop wisely (with or without young children)
* Prepare food with young children
* Feed babies the food they need to grow and stay healthy
* Feed toddlers the food they need to grow and stay healthy

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