Category Archives: Recession

Fifteen percent of Connecticut residents surveyed in the first half of 2012 said that in the prior 12 months there were times when they did not have enough money to buy the food they needed for themselves or their family.  The survey results, up slightly over the previous six months, are according to the Food Research and Action Center’s (FRAC’s) series of analyses of survey data on food hardship collected by Gallup as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. The survey looks at the most recent available food hardship rates by state for the first half of 2012. It is part of a year-round survey that began in January 2008.  One thousand individuals per day are asked, “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” “These  results only confirm what our network of...
Continue reading »

New Study Details Child Food Insecurity at Local Level Nearly 19 percent of Connecticut’s Children at Risk of Hunger We’ve been saying one out of every six children in Connecticut is food insecure. But today’s release of data shows a much more disturbing number. It’s nearly one out of every five children in this state – which sharply contrasts with our reputation as the state with the highest per capita income. How can a state with so much wealth allow this many children to struggle with hunger? Today, Connecticut Food Bank and the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, Feeding America, released a new study which reveals that children are struggling with hunger in every county and congressional district in Connecticut at an overall rate of 18.9 percent. The Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011 study shows the child food insecurity rate in Connecticut ranges from 16.4 percent in...
Continue reading »

Nearly 15 percent of Connecticut residents surveyed in the first half of 2010 said that in the prior 12 months there were times when they did not have enough money to buy the food they needed for themselves or their family. These survey results are according to the Food Research and Action Center’s series of analyses of survey data on food hardship collected by Gallup as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. This particular analysis looks at the most recent available food hardship rates by state, for the first half of 2010. In the year-round survey that began in January 2008, 1,000 individuals per day were asked, “Have there been times in the past 12 months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” Additionally, the report compares results in the 12 month period from July 2008 through June 2009, to the...
Continue reading »

This past Thanksgiving Day, many of us sat around the dinner table surrounded by friends and families expressing our gratitude over heaping plates of food. Thousands of men, women and children who are struggling to survive in today’s economy were also able to share in the spirit of the holiday thanks to the generosity of their neighbors. Scores of individuals, families, civic groups, schools, religious organizations and companies came forward in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving to help make Connecticut Food Bank’s “Thanksgiving for All” campaign a success. Together, we collected 24,516 turkeys and more than 360 tons of trimmings. With everyone’s help, we were able to provide nearly 779,503 meals for people in need of food assistance this holiday season. The kindness demonstrated throughout our Thanksgiving campaign was not only awe-inspiring, but also a testament to what we can do when we work together as a community. As...
Continue reading »

The Connecticut Food Bank is more than 4,000 short of its expected demand for turkeys this holiday. The shortage means thousands of residents, many of them children, will not have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner this year. There are difficult financial strains due to the economic environment in our state. Connecticut Food Bank is asking everyone who is able to please consider donating a turkey to help others. This holiday represents an opportunity to reflect on those things we are all thankful for, a time for family and friends. Those who donate make it possible for everyone to be a part of the sharing process of Thanksgiving. Last year, Connecticut Food Bank distributed 26,503 turkeys and 491,000 pounds of food, which provided an estimated 590,000 meals for people in need during the holiday season. Every event planned for this month is critical, not only to collect food and funds, but also...
Continue reading »

Editor’s Note: Below is a guest post from Elaine Piraino-Holevoet of PIROET Design, who initially posted the entry on her blog, called ontheroadtogreenness. The blog is a tale of one person’s lifelong journey to becoming a good person living a green lifestyle. It is also the story of the people she has met, the things she has tried, the places she has traveled, and the ideas she has encountered along the way. These are all recounted in the hope of getting others to join her on her quest to save the planet. The blog entry below is reprinted with permission. Many who go without meat on Monday have made a conscious decision to do so—perhaps to improve their health or because they are concerned about climate change. Some are vegetarians or vegans and go without meat every day for ethical reasons. Whatever the motivation, it is a privilege when one...
Continue reading »

When I heard the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) proclaim on Sept. 20 that the recession was over, my immediate, knee-jerk reaction was: “You’ve got to be kidding me!” According to the NBER, a nonpartisan group of economists, the recession actually ended last year—June 2009. Like many people, I want the recession to be over for both personal and professional reasons. But like many people who see everyday the human effects of the devastation of this so-called Great Recession I can’t help but utter disbelief in what economists are saying out loud. Let’s not forget, five days before the NBER said the recession was over, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that more people are struggling with poverty—hitting the highest level recorded since 1994. And children felt the hardest poverty hit, with one child in five affected, according to The New York Times. And on Thursday at our biennial Programs...
Continue reading »