HORSHAM, PA — Sara Lee Bread, under the Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU) umbrella, is continuing its multi-year partnership with US Hunger with the release of “Empty Tables: The Hidden Reality of Food Insecurity.”
The report details the scale and impact of food insecurity in the US. It is also designed to outline the gap between Americans’ perception of food insecurities and US families’ challenges.
“Sara Lee Bread has always strived to support moms and families across the US, and this partnership with US Hunger is extremely important to us to help amplify that commitment,” said Nick Pitone, senior brand manager at Sara Lee Bread. “This new data will help inform our future approach in how we support families facing food insecurity — and we hope it inspires meaningful action, providing a sense of love, comfort and community.”
The report outlined that Americans aren’t certain on what food insecurity is or its impact, with 29% saying they are not at all/not very familiar with the term and 76% believing that it is not among the top three issues impacting American households.
A large percentage are also unaware of how common food insecurity is. According to the report, 38% of respondents believe the income level that submits the most requests for food assistance is less than $25,000 annually. In truth, food insecurity impacts households that earn anywhere from $25,000 to $149,000. Nearly half of Americans (47%) believe food insecurity is rare among the average family.
Americans are also increasingly unaware of the impact of food insecurity in households managed by female caregivers. The report revealed that nearly three in 10 respondents believe most food assistance applicants are unemployed. However, many female caregivers are employed and still in need of support. Three in five Americans are also unaware that female caregivers are most likely to sacrifice personal meals when facing food insecurity, with nearly 90% of caregivers doing so in order to feed their families.
“More than 13 million households don’t know where their next meal is coming from, which can be especially tough around the holidays,” said Rick Whitted, president and CEO of US Hunger. “US Hunger is dedicated to providing solutions that extend far beyond just providing food assistance. Our goal is to leverage these findings to raise awareness around the struggles of food insecurity and increase opportunities for both education and action.”
The BBU brand has pledged $1 million in funding and product to US Hunger by 2025. The partnership also includes support for US Hunger’s “Full Cart” program, which unites donors, corporations and communities to provide resources to those in need.
