Hungry on Thanksgiving

Help out if you can

By Culinate staff

November 23, 2009

As the New York Times pointed out last week, one of the consequences of the recession has been a sharp spike nationwide in "food insecurity," otherwise known, simply, as hunger.

For more than a year now, food prices have gone up while employment rates have gone down. The numbers, recently released by the Department of Agriculture, are staggering: 49 million Americans, or a sixth of the country, are considered to have inadequate access to food. And 36 million Americans are on food stamps, a jump of nearly 40 percent from two years ago.

So what are they going to be eating on Thanksgiving? In other words, have you helped out with a local turkey-day food drive?

Many grocery stores make this easy for you, letting you donate food or money at the cash register in these days just before Thanksgiving. You can also call your local food bank and see what they need. Pick up a few extra items, then share.