Dive Brief:
- Some 46 million Americans used a food bank or similar service last year, according to a survey by Feeding America, a nonprofit group that operates food banks.
- Food bank users come from a broad swath of American life, according to the survey. But some segments are more likely than others to turn to food banks for help, particularly military families and families with young children.
- Many food bank users work, but don't earn enough to feed themselves or their families. The median monthly income of a Feeding America family is $927.
Dive Insight:
Certainly this study may suffer from some bias. It was, after all, conduced by a food bank network, not by academics or a major polling organization.
Still, the results of the study by Feeding America will likely surprise many.