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Americans suffering from hunger and poverty can seek temporary relief at food pantries and soup kitchens. Food drives and the Emergency Feeding System (EFS), which was initially formed in response to temporary conditions, have become firmly established in the United States. However, the expansion or maintenance of this system has been questioned by various groups, including the government, emergency food providers, and hunger activists. The EFS in New York is funded by the state, and consists of 414 food pantries in New York City serving 2.9 million people, and 1,143 food pantries in upstate New York and Long Island, serving 2.4 million people. The needs of persons who use the EFS were examined by survey. Many differences in demographic characteristics were identified between food pantry users in New York City and upstate New York. The average family income was 59 percent of the of the poverty level, and 7 percent of families had no income. More than 60 percent of the income was spent on housing for 40 percent of families. These findings suggest that the needs of many families greatly exceed their financial resources. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

SUMMARY Claire Bertschinger came to public attention when she was filmed working in a feeding station in Ethiopia. Twenty five years on, she is still helping the underprivileged. Keywords A-CET [...]