The number of individuals seeking food assistance is on the rise nationwide, according to a new report. And while Birmingham was not part of the survey, representatives of several agencies said the trend is also evident in Alabama’s largest city.
The report, released Dec. 12 by the U.S. Conference of Mayors, found an average increase of 23 percent in requests for emergency food assistance in 25 of the United States’ 27 largest cities.
The largest increases were found in Santa Monica, Calif. (50 percent), Phoenix, Ariz. (44 percent) and Charlotte, N.C. (42 percent). Salt Lake City and Portland, Ore., completed the top five with 35 percent and 34 percent increases.
While Birmingham was not included in the survey, representatives of agencies that offer food assistance in the city said they have seen an increase in the number of meals served at their facilities.
Tony Cooper, executive director of the Jimmie Hale Mission, said his agency saw a 13 percent increase in the meals served during 2001 at its three facilities.
Along with a downtown location for men, the mission also operates Jessie’s Place for women and children and Royal Pines, a substance abuse treatment center in Blount County.
Cooper said the three locations served 147,869 meals in 2001, compared to 131,671 in 2000. By contrast, Cooper said 2000 saw a 3 percent decrease in the number of meals served from the previous year.
Steve Freeman, executive director of the Firehouse Shelter, said he has also seen an increase, with a total of 150,000 served in 2001, compared to some 130,000 meals the previous year.
Marsha Green, director of Community Kitchens, said that agency also saw an increase in meals served during 2001. Green said specific numbers were unavailable, but estimated they saw a 10 percent increase in the amount of meals it served during 2000.
Cooper said homelessness and hunger go hand in hand. Beyond that, he said it is difficult to analyze the cause of the increase in the number of meals being served because different factors contribute to homelessness and poverty. He said a declining economy is one of the factors that causes a rise in the nation’s homeless problem.
Freeman agreed that a sluggish economy is behind the increases. “I think the economy is a large part of it,” he said. “It caused more people to look for soup kitchens and homeless shelters.”
Both Cooper and Freeman said their agencies also saw an increase in the number of individuals seeking shelter. Cooper said there was a 32 percent increase in the number of individuals seeking help at Jimmie Hale Mission’s three shelters. He said the mission’s three facilities housed approximately 1,100 individuals in 2000, with the total increasing to approximately 1,400 in 2001. He said the number of individuals seeking shelter was down by 8 percent in 2000 from the previous year. He said 46,000 beds were used in 2001, explaining individuals may use the bed for several nights.
(RNS contributed)
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