Archive for the ‘environment’ Category

Press Release: Nearly 1/3 of Alabama households with children unable to afford enough food during 2009-10

Thursday, August 11th, 2011

Hunger impacts children’s ability to concentrate, learn in school

Nearly one-third, or 32 percent, of households with children in Alabama reported not having enough money to buy food that they or their family needed at some point during the prior twelve months, according to a new report released by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), Food Hardship in America 2010: Households with and without Children.

This report provides data on food hardship – the inability to afford enough food. During 2009-10:

  • 32 percent of Alabama households with children said they were unable to afford enough food, the second highest among the 50 states.
  • The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) households with children had a food hardship rate of 23.4 percent in 2010, the 10th highest rate among the nation’s 100 largest MSAs.
  • In the 7th Congressional District, 45.0 percent of households with children reported food hardship, the highest in the state and the 3rd highest in the nation.
  • In the 1st Congressional District, 34.8 percent of households with children reported food hardship, the 2nd highest in the state and the 19th highest in the nation.
  • In the 2nd Congressional District, 33.1 percent of households with children reported food hardship, 3rd highest in the state and the 32nd highest in the nation.

“When children don’t have enough to eat, they have a harder time concentrating and performing well in school,” said Kristina Scott, Executive Director of the Alabama Poverty Project.  “Research indicates that for young children, even mild undernutrition negatively impacts their behavior, their school performance, and their overall cognitive development.”

The data were gathered as part of the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index. Specific to this analysis, people were asked, “Have there been times in the past twelve months when you did not have enough money to buy food that you or your family needed?” The data gathered by Gallup were analyzed by FRAC.

“Hunger is not always visible, and thus people may be skeptical that it exists in their communities.  This report bears witness to the fact that Alabamians struggle to feed their families,” said Scott.

The full report is available at www.frac.org

Posted in Census Stats on Poverty, community, education, environment, health, Hunger and Food Insecurity, Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference, Uncategorized | No Comments »

REVISED-HIGH POVERTY AREAS HIT HARD BY TORNADOES: 36 of 42 Counties on disaster list have above-average poverty

Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011

BIRMINGHAM – 36 of the 42 Alabama counties that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has declared eligible for individual disaster assistance have poverty rates higher than the national average.

“Natural disasters hit high poverty communities the hardest,” says Kristina Scott, Executive Director of the Alabama Poverty Project (APP).  “They are more vulnerable to personal injury and property damage when a storm hits, have fewer financial resources and are more likely to experience severe mental health impacts, including post-traumatic stress disorder.”

According to the US Census Bureau, 14.3 percent of Americans live below the federal poverty threshold.  The poverty threshold is determined by age and number of people in a household and was $21,954 for a two-adult, two-child household in 2009, the most recent year for which poverty data is available.

The Census Bureau also reports that 17.5 percent of Alabamians live in poverty.  Fourteen of the tornado-impacted counties have poverty rates greater than 20 percent, including Chambers (20.7 percent), Choctaw (22.8 percent), Clarke (29.1 percent), DeKalb (21.7 percent), Franklin (21.8 percent), Greene (28.4 percent), Hale (26.6 percent), Marengo (24.9 percent), Marion (21.2 percent), Monroe (23.4 percent), Perry (31 percent), Pickens (28 percent), Sumter (35.1 percent) and Winston Counties (24.9 percent).  A full list of impacted counties with key poverty data is attached.  More information is also available on the APP website at http://alabamapossible.org/datasheet/.

In their 2004 report “Poverty and Disasters in the United States,” Sociologists Alice Fothergill and Lori Peek conclude that while poor individuals are more likely to perceive hazards as risky, they are less likely to prepare for hazards or buy insurance; less likely to respond to warnings; more likely to die, suffer injuries, and have proportionately higher material losses; have more psychological trauma; and face more obstacles during the phases of response, recovery, and reconstruction.

In response to the catastrophic tornadoes, APP is compiling resources for individuals to give, volunteer and advocate for those impacted by the storms.  They are regularly updated and available at http://alabamapossible.org/tornadorelief.

About the Alabama Poverty Project:

Alabama is the sixth poorest state in the nation. The Alabama Poverty Project (APP) mobilizes Alabamians to eliminate poverty through strategic relationships with faith communities, higher education institutions and civic organizations. For information and resources, visit our website, http://alabamapossible.org.

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Poverty Rate
All Persons 1 Children 2 Seniors 2 Female Headed Households 2
United States 14.3% 20.0% 9.7% 37.1%
Alabama 17.5% 24.6% 11.8% 45.1%
Autauga 11.2% 16.2% 7.8% 28.3%
Bibb 18.1% 25.7% 12.8% 49.7%
Blount 14.6% 20.4% 12.1% 39.6%
Calhoun 19.0% 26.7% 10.6% 52.6%
Chambers 20.7% 30.2% 12.1% 44.0%
Cherokee 18.4% 28.1% 7.7% 52.8%
Chilton 18.7% 27.5% 10.0% 38.0%
Choctaw 22.8% 29.8% N/A N/A
Clarke 29.1% 37.9% 19.6% 56.2%
Colbert 16.0% 24.8% 9.2% 48.6%
Coosa 16.7% 25.4% N/A N/A
Cullman 19.3% 25.7% 13.5% 39.4%
DeKalb 21.7% 32.0% 15.5% 41.5%
Elmore 14.2% 19.2% 9.9% 29.6%
Etowah 17.2% 26.6% 12.0% 45.7%
Fayette 19.6% 26.9% N/A N/A
Franklin 21.8% 29.7% 12.6% 50.7%
Greene 28.4% 39.7% N/A N/A
Hale 26.6% 35.4% N/A N/A
Jackson 16.4% 24.3% 15.9% 38.9%
Jefferson 16.5% 22.9% 11.1% 36.2%
Lamar 18.2% 25.8% N/A N/A
Lauderdale 14.5% 21.8% 8.0% 48.9%
Lawrence 16.2% 22.9% 10.9% 44.1%
Limestone 13.5% 19.1% 11.3% 32.4%
Madison 10.3% 14.7% 6.3% 36.4%
Marengo 24.9% 32.3% 15.2% 46.4%
Marion 21.2% 30.9% 14.8% 70.5%
Marshall 19.1% 26.2% 14.2% 54.3%
Monroe 23.4% 33.2% 16.6% 67.8%
Morgan 15.9% 23.2% 12.6% 41.9%
Pickens 28.0% 34.1% N/A N/A
Perry 31.0% 48.9% N/A N/A
Shelby 6.9% 9.9% 4.9% 20.1%
St. Clair 13.8% 19.3% 10.3% 35.0%
Sumter 35.1% 42.3% N/A N/A
Talladega 18.9% 26.5% 15.3% 51.3%
Tallapoosa 17.8% 28.1% 9.2% 48.8%
Tuscaloosa 19.9% 22.6% 10.5% 47.9%
Walker 16.0% 22.9% 13.9% 49.8%
Washington 19.3% 26.5% N/A N/A
Winston 24.9% 36.4% 17.2% 53.8%
1 U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (2009)
2 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates (2007-2009)

 

 

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Posted in Census Stats on Poverty, Economics & Employment, environment, Making A Difference | 4 Comments »

Gulf Coast Oil Spill: What we can do

Monday, July 19th, 2010

As the Gulf Coast oil spill catastrophe has dragged on for months, the APP team has been wondering what we could possibly say about something that has so radically impacted our beautiful coast, our fishing and tourism industries, and the people affected by this tragedy.

Sometimes it can feel hopeless to watch a tragedy like this unfold and to have little power to do anything. Yet there are ways you can reach out to our neighbors on the gulf.

We promote advocacy, philanthropy, and volunteerism as ways to make a difference, and we think this article gets it right when it recommends looking for ways to help financially through an affiliated community organization. While there may be little use for donated hair, and the Audobon society doesn’t need volunteers to rescue birds,”Your local church or service organization may have a sister group in an affected Gulf city—and that’s a great place to start looking for a home for your charitable dollars.”

Work to contain the oil spill continues in the Gulf – image via Shelby County Reporter

You can also vote to help our friends at the Bay Area Food Bank receive a $50,000 grant to help feed those affected by the crisis. Vote daily – if they make it in the top ten by the end of the month, they win.

We also liked this story of concerned Shelby County airport pilots flying tourists down to the Gulf to help boost their economy. Philanthropy is about doing what you can with what you have.

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Posted in environment, Making A Difference | No Comments »

Tip 3 to afford college – carpool

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Transportation costs can really add up. Tip #3, from 25 Tips to Afford College, is to carpool:

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Posted in Economics & Employment, education, environment | No Comments »

Eat, pray, grow: hunger, faith, and community gardens

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

APP hosted Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: A Hunger and Food Security Workshop last Thursday at Capitol Heights Baptist Church in Montgomery. Over 50 attendees came together to break bread and to share information, new ideas and strategies for fighting hunger in the Montgomery area.

We heard from local hunger relief programs (Montgomery Area Food Bank, Angel Food Ministries, Montgomery FBC Caring Center), community gardening experts (Montevallo Seed to Table, Jones Valley Urban Farm) and DHR representatives (Food Assistance Program, JOBS Employment Program) about ways to get fresh, healthy, and delicious food to our friends and neighbors.

DHR representatives Patricia Huffman, Margaret Green and Mary Lois Monroe explain the benefits available from family assistance programs, as well as the challenges of accessing these resources.

One of the best ways you can address the interrelated issues of hunger, rising food costs and malnutrition in your own neighborhood is to start a community garden. See this Slate article for suggestions on how to get started, as well as our Resource page on Community Gardening.

Edwin Marty of Jones Valley Urban Farm and Leanne Read of Montevallo Seed to Table talk gardening.

Thank you to Pastor Warren Culvert and Capitol Heights Baptist Church for graciously hosting the event; Ama Shambulia, director of West End Community Gardens for catering our delicious, fresh, and and local vegetarian lunch; Trevor Jaggers at Starbucks Vestavia and Tina Gilliland at Starbucks Hoover for food and coffee donations.

For more resources from the event, see our Montgomery Hunger Resource Guide.

Posted by Robyn Hyden

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Posted in environment, Fighting Poverty with Faith, health, Hunger and Food Security, Making A Difference | 3 Comments »

An update to Tuesday’s post about climate change

Thursday, October 29th, 2009

This article landed in my inbox today and I wanted to share it:

Why Don’t More Americans Believe Climate Change Is Real?

It is hard to convince people that climate change impacts vulnerable communities when they don’t believe in climate change to begin with. . .

Posted by Kristina Scott

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Posted in environment, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Alabama, Southeast most vulnerable to climate change in US

Monday, October 26th, 2009

I came across a fascinating new report and website from Oxfam America.

In Exposed:  Social Vulnerability and Climate Change in the Southeast, Oxfam says that the Southeast is the US region most vulnerable to climate change because of our high rates of social vulnerability and exposure to climate hazards.

More more than 67% of Alabama’s land area falls within the 50-mile buffer of historic hurricane tracks transecting the state.  When combined with Alabama’s high rates of poverty, that is quite a recipe for disaster.

The information in Exposed is available in interactive form at this new website.  You can also download the full Exposed report here.

Posted by Kristina Scott

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Posted in environment | 1 Comment »