News Director M.L. Schultze

Report says 17 million children in US live in homes where food sometimes runs short

Area food banks say demand has risen over the last 2 years, including people who have never been there before

A new national hunger report estimates nearly 17 million children in the U.S. are living in homes where food sometimes runs short. And the number of children who are not just "food insecure" but are actually living in hunger is up over a million. Karen Pozna of the Cleveland Food Bank says the report underscores one that came out this spring that ranked Ohio third in the country in hunger among preschool children. Karen Pozna on what the Cleveland Food Bank is doing for hungry children Other options: Realplayer / Windows Media / MP3 Download (0:24) Mark Mitchell of the Akron-Canton Food bank on the rise of demand for food banks Other options: Realplayer / Windows Media / MP3 Download (0:20)

Both the Cleveland and Akron-Canton Food Banks say their member agencies have seen a big increase in demand over the last two years. That’s largely due to visits from people who have lost their jobs and never been to a food program before. Pozna says many are also juggling finances to pay off health-care bills.

The Cleveland Food Bank distributed a record 27-point-3 million pounds of food during the fiscal year ending in September, and Pozna says the food bank sees no signs of demand tailing off.