Nearly 15 Percent of Utahns Experience Food Insecurity

None by Lara Jones

Businesses Encouraged to Hold Summer Food Drives

(KCPW News) Today is National Hunger Awareness Day. Nationwide there are 38 million Americans living on the brink of hunger.

Approximately 14.8 percent of Utahns experience food insecurity, which means those people are unsure how they will meet their basic nutritional needs. Among that segment of Utah's population, approximately four-point-six percent go hungry on a frequent basis.

The Utah Food Bank, says executive director Jim Pugh, is seeing more and more "working poor" rely upon its food stores to meet family and individual food needs. Pugh says the Utah Food Bank averages 115,000 requests for food assistance each year.

In conjunction with Utahns Against Hunger, the Utah Food Bank is asking local businesses to hold food drives throughout the summer. For details, go to www.utahfoodbank.org.

Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW