Hunger in Indiana
What you should know
Some call it an epidemic. Others call it an outrage. We call it a time to act.
At Gleaners, we fight the hunger crisis in our community every day. One of our best tools is information—so that more people understand the problem, and more of them can join us in the fight.
After all, increasing numbers of our fellow Hoosiers are sinking into poverty:
- A staggering 12.3% of people in Indiana now live in poverty. That’s one of every eight people in the state.
- Poverty is up by 50% in Marion County.
- Eight of ten IPS students must receive free or reduced lunches.
- In Gleaners’ 20-county service area, more than 225,000 people live in poverty—and more than 80,000 of them are children. (Source: Census Bureau.)
- The recent national economic crisis has hit elderly people, the working poor and hungry children especially hard. In 2008 alone, calls to Connect2Help™ for food assistance were up 41%.
We invite you to learn more—and to spread the word. Because the more we know, the more effective all of us are at helping people in need.