Who Are The Hungry?
More and more, we are hearing the term "food insecurity." Food insecurity is a
term used to describe an individual or family that must go without food on a
fairly regular basis as a result of lack of funds with which to purchase food.
The state of being food insecure is not limited to the unemployed. It often
happens to those known as "working poor." These are the individuals who,
although working, do not earn enough to meet all of their basic family needs. In
addition, food insecurity can occur in situations where earnings are ordinarily
adequate to meet basic needs, but in which in times of unexpected bills, such as
utilities or medical, cannot cover all expenses. In such cases, it is not
uncommon to see adults go without food and other necessities in favor of food
for the children. In extreme cases, families will "break up," with adult males
taking their pay checks and leaving. Today in Mississippi, 35% of the families
having a female as head of the household, are living in poverty! During the year 2003, the member charities of the Mississippi Food Network
served an average of 82,000 people monthly. Of this number, 48% were children
and 33% were seniors. This number is growing as the cost of providing food,
clothing, shelter and medicine exceeds earnings.
Methods Of Distribution
Picked Up At The Food Bank- Approximately 60% of the product distributed
each year is picked up at the food bank by the member charities. Pickups are by
appointment on Mondays Through Thursdays. On a typical day, an average of 25
charities will make such pickups. The appointment is made at the time the food
bank receives an order. The products are pre-assembled and waiting for the
charity to arrive at the scheduled time.
Subsidiary Food Banks-Seventy-four counties in Mississippi and 12
parishes in Louisiana make up the MFN's assigned service area. In order to
locate food bank warehouses closer to the charities, three subsidiary food banks
have been established as follows:
The Food Bank of South Central Mississippi in Brookhaven. This food bank serves
charities in 9 south central Mississippi counties.
Delivery To Centrally-Located Cities
Charities located in the remaining 59 counties, but that are too distant from
Jackson to make pickups, are served by MFN's 48-foot refrigerated trailer. This
equipment makes deliveries to 15 communities that are centrally located in their
respective areas. Charities off-load their orders from the trailer and then take
them to their own facility.
