The Lowell Sun

12/08/2006

Hunger That Never Subsides

By ANA RIVAS, Special to The Sun

Article Last Updated:12/28/2006 01:44:05 PM EST


BOSTON -- Hunger is news at the start of every holiday season.
On television and radio, in newspapers and on the Web there is an annual rite of reports from church basements and massive feeding halls, in soup kitchens and shelters for the homeless.
The message has been consistent for the past decade. More people are seeking food assistance this year than last year.
But while demand for food continues to break records in the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported last month that more than 92 percent of the state's households in 2005 had access to enough food for a healthy life. In fact, the USDA says it has been that way, on average, since 1996.
How can it be that demand for food relief has hit historic highs? Why is it reported that hunger continues to be a growing industry?More