ANNOUNCING: 2009 HUNGER STUDY
What is the Hunger Study?
Hunger in America 2009 is the fifth national hunger study conducted by Feeding America (formerly known as America's Second Harvest - The Nation's Food Bank Network) and its member food banks and food rescue organizations. The purpose of the study is to conduct extensive research into the distribution of food assistance services to low-income Americans through our comprehensive network of agencies. This research is one of the most in-depth surveys of its size assessing the hunger problem in America. The 2006 study amassed over 52,000 personal interviews with individuals who received food assistance as well as 31,000 social service agency employees.
The Hunger Study is unique as it surveys both charitable relief organizations in local communities and compares those findings with agencies from other communities across the country, as well as surveys the clients who access these agencies' services to determine the reasons recipients need charitable assistance. This two pronged study - local agencies and recipients - enables the food banking community to better quantify the needs of its communities, and analyze the capacity of the charitable food distribution system to meet those needs.
The Hunger Study has been cited as authoritative research results by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, House and Senate Budget Committees, House and Senate Agriculture Committees, and the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees in various public events and legislative hearings over the last few years.
We need your help!
Forgotten Harvest will need approximately 100 volunteers to facilitate this study. Over 400 client interviews will be conducted in February, March, and April, 2009 throughout the metro-Detroit area. We are in the process of recruiting volunteers to conduct client interviews.
- Volunteers must be 21 years or older
- Most interviews will be conducted Monday - Friday during normal business hours (some Saturdays)
- Length of interview will be 2 - 8 hours per day
Forgotten Harvest will provide (mandatory) in-depth training to our volunteers. Training sessions will be held at Forgotten Harvest (21800 Greenfield in Oak Park ) on:
| Monday, January 12th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm |
| Wednesday, January 14th, 9:00 - 11:00 am |
| Monday, January 19th, 6:00 - 8:00 pm |
All answers to questions are kept completely confidential. Mathematica, Inc will aggregate the information and no one will be able to trace it back to an agency or a specific clients.
Survey data will help Food Rescue staff, elected officials, and the community better understand the hunger related need in the metro-Detroit area and throughout our country. If you are interested in volunteering for this special project or if you have questions, please email our Hunger Study Coordinator Kristen Yandora at kyandora@forgottenharvest.org. Be sure to indicate which training session you will attend.
