Reality of Hungerin the Houston Area

Reynalda Garza and granddaughtersMartha’s Kitchen

Child Hunger Indicators

• Extreme thinness• Puffy/swollen skin• Dry, cracked lips• Chronic sickness• Saving or hoarding food• Inability to concentrate

Hunger Every Day

Each day,

35,000suffer from

hunger

Children under 18 44%

HFB Clients

Households with at leastone working adult

47%

HFB Clients

Households with at least one member

in poor health

30%

HFB Clients

Homeless

15%

HFB Clients

Poverty

891,432

Food Insecurity

932,253

The Poverty Gap

$8,000

11

Poverty is Growing

• In 6 years, Houston MSA grew from 3.7M to more than 5M; 16% are poor

• In Houston, 22.9% poverty rate• Texas has third-highest food

insecurity rate at 16%; fourth-highest hunger rate

Houston Area Child Poverty Rates*

18%

24%26%

35%

12%

17%

1999 2005

MSA City Suburbs

Lbs per poor person

Annualized 43

37

71

13

48 72

39

35

40 48

106

29

28

12020 52

473

HFB42

National60

It’s More than Food

Food vs. Rent

43%

Tough Choices

Food vs. Utilities

47%

Tough Choices

Food vs. Medicine

37%

Tough Choices

Family Budget

Average family

4%

Low income family

10%

Average family

11%

Low income family

32%

Family Budget

Reality of Hungerin the Houston Area