New Study Documents the Continued Pervasiveness of People at Risk of Hunger in Every County in the U.S.

WASHINGTON, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Friday, April 27, 2012, join Feeding America in Washington, D.C. as we unveil "Map the Meal Gap 2012", the second annual research study that provides estimates of food insecurity at the county and congressional district level. Food insecurity is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy lifestyle for all household members. This study was supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company.

Learn what the data tells us about trends in local level food insecurity and how it is being applied by food banks to develop targeted solutions to address hunger in their communities. Hear from policy leaders about the implications of ongoing elevated food insecurity for federal nutrition programs, what charitable food providers are doing to help, and the impact of hunger on our nation's children.

EVENT DETAILS:
Friday, April 27, 2012
National Press Club
529 14^th Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20045
Lisagor Room, 13^th Floor

If you cannot attend the event, make sure to tune in via live stream.

Join the conversation about "Map the Meal Gap 2012" on Twitter using #MealGap.

PRESS BRIEFING: 9:00–10:00 a.m. EDT

• Vicki Escarra, President & CEO, Feeding America
• Craig Gundersen, Professor, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana; Research Lead for "Map the Meal Gap 2012"
• TBD, Capital Area Food Bank
• Estella Mayhue-Greer, President & CEO, Mid-South Food Bank
• Elaine Waxman, Vice President of Research & Partnerships, Feeding America

POLICY IMPLICATIONS PANEL: 10:00–11:00 a.m. EDT

• Melissa Boteach, Director of Half in Ten, Center for American Progress
• Candy Hill, Senior Vice President for Social Policy & Government Affairs, Catholic Charities USA
• Bill Bentley, President & CEO, Voices for America's Children
• Lisa Davis, Vice President of Policy, Feeding America

A summary of the findings, an interactive map of the United States, and the full report will be available at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap on Friday, April 27, 2012.

ABOUT FEEDING AMERICA

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 37 million Americans each year, including 14 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 61,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

CONTACT
Shannon Traeger
Feeding America
312-641-5717

SOURCE Feeding America