Hunger Survey: Grades 7-12

This activity asks kids to test what they know, or think they know, about hunger and helps to dispel some commonly held myths. The survey can be a good way to start a conversation about hunger.

Answer TRUE or FALSE to the following statements:

1. _____ The poverty rate in the U.S. in 2000 was less than it was 1970.

2. _____ Most people who are poor could work, but don’t.

3. _____ People who receive food stamps or public assistance, often “cheat” the
system.

4. _____ Caucasians make up the largest group living in poverty.

5. _____ People can use welfare for more than 2 years.

6. _____ The maximum daily allotment of food stamps is $ 4.00 per person.

7. _____ Most impoverished households are headed by a single woman.

8. _____ The cost of housing has impact on why people are hungry.

9. _____ There is a direct relationship between education and earnings.

10. ____ For able-bodied Americans, there is no reason to be unemployed.
 

Answers to Student Questionnaire:
Hunger and Poverty in the United States

1. True: The poverty rate in the U.S. in 2000 was less than it was 1970.

• The poverty rate in 2000 was 11.3% the lowest since 1970. However, this still means there are 31.1 million people living in poverty in the U.S.

• A single parent with two children needed only $13,874 to be considered above the poverty level. The official poverty income threshold does not realistically provide for basic necessities.

• The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts estimates that over 100,000 people receive food annually through its network of agencies. The population of the region is 820,000. That means nearly 12% of the people need help putting food on their tables.

2. False: Most people who are poor could work, but don’t.

• As a result of the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) or commonly called welfare reform established eligibility for benefits through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF program. Poor, able bodied parents must work 20 hours a week if their children are school age, in order to receive benefits and cash assistance. If these adults are unable to find paying work, they are required to perform 30 hours per week community service in order to maintain their benefit payments.

• The regulations and benefits vary in each state. Some states allow for training and educational programs to be substituted for paid work hours. Other states help recipients build their assets while still receiving public assistance.

• In western Massachusetts, 28% of the households that receive food through The Food Bank’s emergency network have at least one person working.

• 43% of the food recipients are children less than 17 years of age should not be expected to work, and 9% are senior citizens.

• 18% of the emergency food recipients in the region get public cash assistance. (TANF or general assistance)

3. False: Most people who receive food stamps and public assistance often “cheat” the system.

• Given the statistics above, most people who receive public assistance should not be expected to have the money they need for food.

• However, you may hear arguments about other ways people could get the food they need, or how some people “cheat” in a variety of ways: from taking more than they need to, selling the emergency food they get, or simply lying to get food stamps. There are rigorous programs in place to limit overpayment and fraud.

• The food stamp application in Massachusetts is 16 pages long. Although reforms are being instituted to simplify the process, 36% of those in western Mass getting emergency food said it was too difficult to apply, although they were probably eligible.

• There is growing research to support findings that welfare programs “cheat” recipients as well, through erroneously denied exemptions, or not offering proper assistance in applying for waivers, especially in cases of domestic violence, or providing translation services.

4. True: Caucasians make up the largest group living in poverty.

• 2000 census data shows the following poverty rates: 8% Caucasian, 21% Hispanic, and 22% Black. There are more white people overall in the U.S. population, so the smaller percentage is still a majority.

• However, the numbers need to be examined in context. The disproportionate amount of poverty in the non-white sectors of the population raises issues of racism and economic injustice that need to be more closely examined.

• In western Massachusetts 61% of people who receive food through The Food Bank programs are Caucasian, 16% African America, and 23% Hispanic. Once more, the racial imbalance in poverty and need is reflected by the fact the total population breakdown of the region is: Caucasian 85%, African American 5%, and Hispanic 10%.

5. True: People can use welfare for more than 2 years.

• Federal law sets a 5 year lifetime limit on public assistance (welfare). In the U.S. the poor population is dynamic; low income people often move in and out of poverty and about 5% of the total population is considered chronically poor. There is no clear data on the effect of PRWORA on these trends.

• In Massachusetts, assistance is limited to 24 months with in a 60 month period. In other words, there is a 2 year maximum in Massachusetts.

6. True: The maximum daily allotment of the Food Stamp Program is $4.00 per person.

• As with welfare benefits, an able bodied adult must fulfill work requirements in order to receive food stamps. The maximum allotment of food stamps is equal to $1.33 per meal.

• In western Massachusetts, 63% of people who get emergency food do not get food stamps at all.

• 90% of those people receiving food stamps state that the benefits last 3 weeks or less. The majority of those who do get food stamps are children.

• Despite myths to the contrary, research indicates that families on food stamps spend their food dollars more wisely than the average family. They succumb less often to the lure of fatty, sugary food and beverages than non-food stamp families. (Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. 1993)

7. True: Most impoverished households are headed by single woman.

• Households headed by a woman are often referred to as single parent households, though a man could also be the single parent.

•  In 2000 roughly 3 million poor families were headed by women. The poverty rate for female-headed households was 32.5%, or six times the rate for married-couple families with children.

• 25% of households that get food from The Food Bank of Western MA member agencies are single-parent homes.

8. True: The cost of housing in the U.S. has impact on why people are hungry.

• Across the country a person has to earn an average of $14.66 per hour, which is three times the federal minimum wage of $5.15 to afford to rent a modest two bedroom home. The gap between income and housing costs continues to increase, pushing family budgets to the limits.

• In Massachusetts a minimum age earner ($6.75 per hour) can afford monthly rent of no more than $350. In fact, this wage earner would have to work 125 hours a week to afford to rent a two-bedroom unit.

•  In western Massachusetts 25% of households using emergency food are behind on their rent or mortgage, and 42% of the households said that they had to regularly choose between paying for food and the rent or mortgage. Food is frequently placed last in the budget when faced with increasing household expenses.

9. True: There is a direct relationship between education and earnings.

• Education is commonly considered to be a solution to poverty. Across the nation, in 2002, the poverty rate for individuals without a high school diploma was 22% compared to a rate of 3% for those with at least a bachelor’s degree.

• There are no guarantees that an education will prevent hunger, since 66% of adults receiving emergency food from The Food Bank of Western MA have at least a high school diploma. However the higher the educational level completed the better the options for earning.

• The statistics for both the U.S. and Massachusetts indicate the following: poverty rates for married couple families in which one person held a bachelor’s degree is close to 1%. Single mothers with poor educational attainment have a poverty rate of 48% in the U.S. and 55% in Massachusetts.
   

10. False: For able bodied Americans, there is no reason to be unemployed.

• Discrimination plays a role when a poor person applies for a job.

• There are millions of functionally illiterate adults who can’t read or write well enough to work in many jobs.

• For families with young children there are additional concerns. Entry level pay in many jobs is less than $6 an hour and childcare can cost often be equal to that $6/hour wage for one child, making it impractical for both parents to work, or for many single parents to work. Many times there are not available openings in daycare programs.

• Economically speaking, the federal government actually counts on a certain percentage of unemployment. If people are afraid they might lose their job to someone who needs a job, they are less likely to ask for more pay. If the pay rate stays low, prices stay low and there is no inflation, which is helpful to people overall.

• In western Massachusetts 28% of the households that receive emergency food had at least one working adult.

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