Hunger in Oklahoma

The Harsh Reality of Hunger in Oklahoma Sadly, according to the USDA, Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the number of people who are "very low food insecure," or hungry, at 5.9 percent. We rank sixth in the nation at 14.0 percent in the number of people who are food insecure, which is defined by the USDA as being hungry at times during the year due to lack of money for food. Here is a brief snapshot of the hungry in Eastern Oklahoma: The Faces of the Hungry in Eastern Oklahoma 44 percent of household members served by emergency pantry programs in Eastern Oklahoma are children under the age of 18. More than 22 percent of our children live in food insecure households - more then one in five children at risk of going to bed hungry every night. Of households experiencing hunger, less than 20 percent are classified as unemployed. More than one-third are disabled and/or retired, while the remaining 46 percent have at least one working member. Poverty in Eastern Oklahoma 16.2 percent of Oklahomans live in poverty, more than one in six. The poverty level in 2009 is $22,050 for a family of four. Oklahoma's poverty rate is highest on children with 23.2 percent living in poverty. Tough Choices 48 percent of households served report having to choose between paying for food and paying for utilities; 36 percent had to choose between paying for food and paying rent or mortgage; and 34 percent had to choose between paying for food and paying for medicine or medical care. Emergency Food Programs The Food Bank is by far the single most important source of food for emergency food programs, accounting for 70 percent of food used by pantries, 56 percent of food used by soup kitchens and 42 percent of food used by shelters. The single fastest growing group of people relying on emergency feeding programs is the working poor: households where both parents may be working, or where one is holding down one or more low-paying jobs.