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Number Of Missouri Households Going Hungry On The Rise

Tim Lloyd/St. Louis Public Radio

A report released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows the number of Missouri households threatened by hunger has grown over the past three years.

While the national average shows 14.7 percent of American homes had low or very low food security between 2010 and 2012, Missouri's average is 16.7 percent, or about one out of six households.  That's up from 15 percent during the 2007-2009 survey period.  GlennKoenenis Hunger Task Force Chair for the Missouri Association for Social Welfare.

"We're not making any progress," Koenen said.  "We're seeing more and more people who need to go to food pantries, (who) need food stamps and other help -- and whereas in some parts of the country things are getting a very little bit better, in Missouri things are still getting worse."

Koenen says in light of the growing number of hungry Missourians, it's crucial for Congress to pass a federal farm bill that includes funding for food stamps, now known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

"SNAP funds are probably the largest single source of income to grocery stores, when you think about it, because one person in six (in Missouri), one person in seven (nationally), is using SNAP to buy the biggest part of their food budget," Koenen said.

The Republican-led U.S. House and Democrat-led U.S. Senate have yet to agree on a new farm bill.  The version passed by the House in July would cut $40 billion in SNAP funding.

The entire household food security report can be found here.

Follow Marshall Griffin on Twitter:  @MarshallGReport

Copyright 2013 St. Louis Public Radio

St. Louis Public Radio State House Reporter Marshall Griffin is a native of Mississippi and proud alumnus of Ole Miss (welcome to the SEC, Mizzou!). He has been in radio for over 20 years, starting out as a deejay. His big break in news came when the first President Bush ordered the invasion of Panama in 1989. Marshall was working the graveyard shift at a rock station, and began ripping news bulletins off an old AP teletype and reading updates between songs. From there on, his radio career turned toward news reporting and anchoring. In 1999, he became the capital bureau chief for Florida's Radio Networks, and in 2003 he became News Director at WFSU-FM/Florida Public Radio. During his time in Tallahassee he covered seven legislative sessions, Governor Jeb Bush's administration, four hurricanes, the Terri Schiavo saga, and the 2000 presidential recount. Before coming to Missouri, he enjoyed a brief stint in the Blue Ridge Mountains, reporting and anchoring for WWNC-AM in Asheville, North Carolina. Marshall lives in Jefferson City with his wife, Julie, their dogs, Max and Liberty Belle, and their cat, Honey.