More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic

Economy More people are going hungry now than at the height of the pandemic May 27, 20263:12 PM ET Scott Horsley More than 3,500 families attended a food distribution event organized by the Houston Food Bank in November. Mark Felix/AFP hide caption toggle caption Mark Felix/AFP More people in the United States are going hungry now than during the depths of the pandemic six years ago. Public Health In the U.S., hunger is often hidden. But it can still leave scars on body and mind A survey released Wednesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York found higher levels of food insecurity this year than during the summer of 2020, when the coronavirus outbreak sparked double-digit unemployment. The New York Fed periodically asks Americans if they're having to skip meals, rely on food donations or receiving federal assistance to buy groceries. Replies from the most recent survey in February show hunger is a more pervasive problem now than at any time in the last six years. Sponsor Message Amy Breitmann, who runs the Golden Harvest Food Bank in Augusta, Ga., has witnessed the growing number of families and children in need of food. "We have some distributions where people are sitting in a two- to three-mile line the night before a distribution starts," Breitmann says. "They're sleeping in their cars." The New York Fed survey from February found that nationwide, 10% of families reported missing meals for lack of food, and nearly 16% relied on food donations. Among families earning less than $50,000 a year, rates of food insecurity were about twice as high, with nearly 20% forced to skip meals or go without. Other states also face increasing food insecurity The Community Food Bank of Central Alabama, which serves 12 counties in the state, is moving into a larger building to accommodate the increased need. "Food insecurity could be your next door neighbor," says Nicole Williams, CEO of the food bank. "When gas cost a little bit more or food costs a little bit more, or they hav...