Taste of the Nation - Seattle

Hungry In Washington State

Washington ranks 32nd in hunger in the U.S., down from being the 2nd hungriest state in the nation in 2001. It also ranks 30th in food insecurity among the states. An estimated 251,000 Washington households live with hunger or the threat of hunger.
- United States Department of Agriculture, 2007


Nationally, rates of hunger and food insecurity are much higher among African American and Hispanic households. 8% of African American households go hungry and 5.7% of Hispanic households, compared with 3.1% of white households.
- United States Department of Agriculture, 2007


Hungry children are especially likely to demonstrate higher levels of anxious and irritable, aggressive and oppositional behaviors as compared to their low-income but not hungry peers.
- Children’s Defense Fund, 2004


Last year, 1.2 million people went to food banks for help, 40% of them children.
- Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development, 2007


Over one-half million school children in Washington receive free or reduced price school lunches.
- Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2007


Many low-income parents skip meals so that their children can eat. At one Spokane food bank, 60% of parents said they skipped meals to give their children food.
- Client survey, 2nd Harvest Inland Northwest, Spokane, 2004



An average of just over 40,000 Washington children a day got free meals through summer feeding programs in 2007. That represents only 14% of the children who get free and reduced price meals during the school year.
- Food Research and Action Center and the Washington Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2006


The Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) serves over 265,000 Washington mothers and babies per year. Nearly half of all babies born in Washington benefit from the WIC program.
- Washington State Department of Health, 2006


An estimated 543,000 Washingtonians use their food stamp benefits to buy food every month. This compares to 295,061 people who received food stamp benefits in 2000.
- United States Department of Agriculture, 2005


In Washington State, 68% of those who qualify for Food Stamps (known in Washington as the Basic Food Program) receive them, compared with 56% in 2002.
- United States Department of Agriculture, 2007