More than one-third of all emergency client households have at least one member who is working. Twelve percent include someone who is retired and 35 percent include someone unemployed. For millions of American families, low-wage jobs and inadequate government assistance are not enough to provide a family's basic nutritional needs. However, the study indicates that most families receiving assistance are in a temporary crisis. Sudden unemployment can quickly disrupt a family's financial stability and leave the cupboard bare.
Food banks provide temporary assistance to help families through a crisis.
Most clients in the study did not become long-term dependents. Forty-four percent had received food and grocery products for less than six months and 18 percent had received assistance for less than a month. The Consequences Many individuals seeking assistance are in poor health, and faltering nutrition only exascerbates existing health problems. Twenty-eight percent of emergency clients have had to choose between seeking medical attention, filling prescriptions and buying food. The most dramatic consequences can be seen in children.