The persistence of hunger in America

March 8, 2026

TL;DR

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual report on food insecurity was discontinued by the Trump administration.
Shannon Patrick, a single mother working full-time, struggles with food insecurity despite having a college degree.
Nearly 48 million Americans, including 14 million children, face food insecurity.
Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, highlights that hunger often occurs despite hard work.
Bipartisan engagement on hunger during COVID-19 led to a decrease in food insecurity rates.
Babineaux-Fontenot shares a personal experience of needing help from the Salvation Army due to hunger.
Feeding America distributed nearly six billion meals last year, but still fell short of meeting the need.
Babineaux-Fontenot's family has a history of helping those in need, with her parents fostering and feeding many children.
Babineaux-Fontenot is stepping down as CEO of Feeding America after seven years, with plans to potentially become a foster parent.

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