Who is hungry in Minnesota?
More than 600,000 people in Minnesota are hungry. They live in every one of Minnesota’s 87 counties. They live in cities, on farms, in suburbs, in the country, on lakes, on flat land, in forests, in small towns. One in every ten Minnesotans doesn’t know where his or her next meal is coming from. Of those ten, four are children.
Research Studies describe hunger's effects and costs
The Hunger-Free Minnesota campaign is based on research studies that quantify Minnesota's hunger problem while adding insight to hunger’s short- and long-term effects.
The Map the Meal Gap Study (2011; Feeding America) and its predecessor, the Missing Meals Study (2008; Feeding America) are groundbreaking in their ability shine a light on the exact number and location of hungry people in each state in the nation.
To see how Minnesota compares to the rest of the country and learn more about Feeding America’s methodology, click here.
The Hunger in America/Minnesota Study (2010; Feeding America and Mathematica Policy Research) provides a precise portrait of Minnesota’s hungry and the hard choices they make in spending their limited monthly funds.
The Cost/Benefit Impact Study (2010; presented by Target and the University of Minnesota Food Industry Center) details the effects prolonged hunger has on infants, children and adults, along with the financial toll it takes on the state.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Access Study (2010; The Boston Consulting Group, Minneapolis Office) uncovers and highlights barriers to participation in the federally funded program by its target audiences.
You can see the research studies’ footprints in Hunger-Free Minnesota’s Action Plan initiatives. Each initiative was carefully formulated to close the missing meal gap and help address underlying hunger issues identified in the research studies.
Hunger statistics chart the progress
The best way to measure campaign progress is by establishing data benchmarks and re-measuring on a regular basis.
The studies on the Hunger Statistics page have been released to the media and also are archived on this website in the Media Center under the News tab. There, they are linked with the news release they supported.
Neighbors in Need
Real people. Real hunger.
If you think hunger affects only the homeless, the poor or the unemployed, think again. There are hungry families in your child’s school; in your place of worship; at your grocery store and at your doctor’s office.
