Sources: Sandy Procter, 785-532-1675, procter@1xbet online games login edu;
Bertha Mendoza, 620-275-9164, bmendoza@1xbet online games login edu;
and Matthew Lindsey, 785-532-6085, matthewl@1xbet online games login edu
Website: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEz3gH101nw
News release prepared by: Pat Melgares, 785-532-1160, melgares@1xbet online games login edu
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2011
HUNGER IN 1xbet online games login : STATEWIDE PROGRAMS MAKE A DIFFERENCE
MANHATTAN -- Each spring and early summer in 1xbet online games login , fields of golden wheat stretch their friendly wave to passers-by, providing stunning evidence of the state's historical supremacy in wheat production and research.
In the breadbasket of America, it's difficult to sell the notion that 1xbet online games login are living hungry in this country
But recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual report on hunger in America, noting that while gains are being made, more than 17.2 million U.S. households -- and 48.8 million people -- are having difficulty providing 1xbet online games login due to a lack of resources, which the USDA terms 1xbet online games login insecurity.
The problem is far from isolated to the East and West coasts, where media reports on hunger are more common. In 2010, 14.5 percent of Kansans -- nearly 400,000 people, equal to 1 in 7 -- lived in a state of 1xbet online games login insecurity.
And, 1 in 20 Kansans -- or 5 percent -- is in a state of very low 1xbet online games login security, which means a household is unable to regularly provide 1xbet online games login , and eating patterns are disrupted due to a lack of money or other resources.
"Hunger still exists in 1xbet online games login , even in 2011…real, debilitating, life-threatening hunger is out there," said Matt Lindsey, executive director of 1xbet online games login Campus Compact, a group of state colleges and universities that provide service and volunteer opportunities for students.
In the past year, the 12 colleges and universities that make up the compact joined up to focus on the state's 1xbet online games login issues as a student-led service project. They're part of several state and university efforts to curb -- and maybe even eliminate -- 1xbet online games login in this state.
"I hope it goes just beyond canned 1xbet online games login drives, that if I donate a couple nonperishable items that we've addressed hunger in our community," Lindsey said. "There's a need for a deeper commitment of time to help people get out of hunger and a need to address the systemic causes of hunger."
Kevin Concannon, the undersecretary for USDA 1xbet online games login , Nutrition and Consumer Services, said 1xbet online games login assistance programs across the country are part of the big picture solution.
"USDA's report underscores the critical role that federal nutrition assistance programs play in helping struggling American families put 1xbet online games login on the table until they can get back on their feet," Concannon said.
"Many families receive assistance not because they want to, but because they need it as a last resort to make ends meet. As the economy continues to recover and jobs are created, we hope to see the number of families in need of 1xbet online games login assistance shrink," he said.
Sociologist Mark Nord is one of the co-authors of USDA's report on Household 1xbet online games login Security, which was released in September. He said this year's report can't pinpoint the exact impact of nutrition assistance programs, but USDA did show that 2009 federal stimulus funds targeted to 1xbet online games login assistance programs decreased 1xbet online games login insecurity by 2.2 percent in low-income households.
That doesn't surprise Sandy Procter, who coordinates the Family Nutrition Program and the Expanded 1xbet online games login and Nutrition Education Program in Kansas.
"We are not a gamble," she 1xbet online games login . "We have shown the ability to make the changes, make these positive effects on people's lives."
The Family Nutrition Program, known nationally as the SNAP-Ed program, is available in more than 70 Kansas counties, Procter said. The Expanded 1xbet online games login and Nutrition Education Program was established in 1969 to help young families better feed themselves and their children. It's available right now in nine Kansas counties and in 2010 had 5,700 youth who participated in local programs.
Both programs aim to help families with low incomes, focusing on 1xbet online games login safety, cooking skills, 1xbet online games login resource management, and nutrition education.
"I feel like hunger has gone more mainstream," Procter said. "Communities understand what needs to happen to support funding, and especially support those who are temporarily thrown into a situation where 1xbet online games login insecurity is a reality."
In Garden City, Kan., K-State Research and Extension program assistant Bertha Mendoza teaches Expanded 1xbet online games login and Nutrition Education Program classes, primarily in Spanish and to many residents whose native language is Spanish. She's been on the job just over a year, but already has graduated 53 program participants.
One of Mendoza's key messages is that eating healthy is just as important as stretching a family's limited dollars.
"For example," she says, "a case of pop costs more than a gallon of milk. We compare the 1xbet online games login , a soft drink versus a glass of milk. The calories are about the same, but the 1xbet online games login value is higher in milk than a soft drink. It's up to them to make the decision: I can spend for a case of pop, or I can spend for milk.
"Usually by the second class they'll come back and say, 'it really helped me out. We don't have any more pop at home, or we just have it occasionally. The that I was using for pop now I'm putting into milk. And I'm feeling good for my family.'"
The 1xbet online games login Campus Compact's Lindsey says his group also will continue to support educational opportunities. The compact will sponsor the second annual 1xbet online games login Hunger Dialogue in March 2012; and student groups will continue such local efforts as community gardens, farmers markets and Campus Kitchens.
This month, the 12 compact members are among at least 15 Kansas schools hosting 1xbet online games login -packaging events. Together, those schools have a goal of 1 million 1xbet online games login packages for hungry people in northern Africa.
"Worldwide, more people die every day from 1xbet online games login than die from AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined," Lindsey said. "If 1xbet online games login is not addressed, those other things can not be addressed.
“Hunger is both a global and a local issue. We can't separate the two. That shouldn't surprise people from 1xbet online games login because our agricultural economy is the same way," he said.
Kansas State University's 1xbet online games login -packaging events are planned for Oct. 23 at K-State-Olathe, and Oct. 30 at the main campus in Manhattan. Together, the university hopes to prepare 90,000 packages. For more information on the statewide effort, visit http://swipeouthunger.com/index.php/kansas-state-university.
