© PhilabundancePhilabundance's Community Food Center, which serves 450 cupboards and pantries throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has seen a 26 percent spike in need this year and now serves food for about 65,000 people weekly.
The face of hunger in America is changing. It's a little more ex-middle class, a little more desperate and there are a lot more mouths to feed, people who run the nation's food banks say.
"We're seeing a lot more families, many who are running out of money and benefits because of long-term unemployment," said Bill Clark, executive director of food bank Philabundance. "Since 2007, the changing face of hunger has been influenced a lot by unemployment."
Clark doesn't put much credence in the monthly fluctuations in employment data from the government. Every day he sees how the long-term jobless are struggling to meet basic needs.
The food bank, which serves 450 cupboards and pantries throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has seen
a 26 percent spike in need this year and now serves food for about 65,000 people weekly.
On Friday, the Labor Department will release employment data for November. In October, employers added 80,000 jobs, offering a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered employment market.
Comment: What can US citizens do when their hands are tied, not only by unemployment, but direct Government intervention?
US: Having More Than 7 Days Of Food Makes You A Suspected Terrorist
What the Bureau of Labor Statistics do not have an account of (or is willing to share) is the number of people who've lost unemployment benefits.
US Social Crisis: 25 Million Unemployed and Underemployed