Does hunger really exist in Monterey County?
According to a recent Hunger Study conducted here in Monterey County,an estimated 88,700 different people are now served annually by the Food Bank for Monterey County—one-fifth of Monterey County’s population. Every week we serve approximately 10,800 people. The last hunger study (2005), reported 55,300 different people served annually and 4,900 weekly. Hunger is not a new issue, but it now has a new story. As the unemployment rate has climbed, thousands who never dreamed they would need help from a food bank are now for the first time unable to put food on the table, in the wake of the recession’s layoffs, lost savings and other financial hardships.
