Get Involved - has information about a number of ways that you can learn about and join efforts to end hunger: through donations, volunteer work, advocacy, public education, or a unique community-based method of finding and linking the unique skills of local community residents (Asset-Based Community Development).

Introduction

Between 1990 and 1991 Sacramento has experienced an explosion in the demand for food assistance at local food closets and soup kitchens. Almost without exception agencies which feed our hungry neighbors are reporting 30 percent or greater increases in their volume of "business." One network of local food closets documented serving 77,085 people in October 1991, an increase of 80 percent over October of 1990. Another food closet presented figures showing a 150 percent increase in demand, resulting in service to 40,000 people in October 1991. Because these two agencies share a computerized client data base, these statistics are relatively nonduplicative, meaning the agencies screen to avoid counting multiple visits by the same people.

Demand at emergency food proqrams is not the only indicator that hunger is threatening more and more Sacramentans. The largest local school district reported a 10 percent increase in the number of school lunches served during this school year compared to last. Also, participation in the food stamp proqram has reached an all- time high, both nationally and at the local level. The USDA, which manages the nation' s food stamp proqram, recently reported that 25 million, or one in every ten people in the U.S. is receiving food stamps.

Hunger is not a new condition in Sacramento. In 1989, the community Services Planning Council published a report entitled Hunger Hits Home. This landmark publication documented the existence of hunger in our community. Furthermore, the authors of Hunger Hits Home called for the creation of a local commission which would be responsible for assisting the community to more effectively fight hunger.

In January 1990 the Sacramento City/County Hunger commission was created by the Sacramento City council and county Board of supervisors to fulfill its charge as defined in Hunger Hits Home. The achievements of the Hunger commission in this regard are highlighted in the section of this report entitled "Successful steps to Fight Hunger In Sacramento."

This document also updates much of the data contained in the original report. The information provided in this publication was collected over the past year by the staff, volunteers and colleagues of the Sacramento City/County Hunger Commission. This analysis of recent and current trends in various hunger indicators and food assistance proqrams illustrates a critical need for continued coordinated efforts to fight hunger in Sacramento.

The sections of this report are outlined in the Table of Contents. Although based on information in Hunger Hits Home, this publication does not duplicate the methodology or format of that report. The Sacramento City/County Hunger Commission presents this document as a tool for those interested in exploring and confronting hunger and inadequate food access issues in our community.

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