“Prior to COVID-19, 37 million people in the U.S. struggled with hunger. Feeding America estimates that as a result of the pandemic, that number may rise to 54 million people, including 18 million children in 2020.”

“In the wake of COVID-19, more American families are waiting in line at food banks and rationing meals for their kids. With schools now closed for months, this has been the longest summer for kids facing hunger.”

“1 out of 10 residents of the metropolitan Washington region is food insecure. Nearly ⅓ of them are children.”

“With COVID-19 continuing to spread, and millions of Americans still out of work, one of the nation's most urgent problems has only grown worse: hunger. In communities across the country, the lines at food pantries are stretching longer and longer, and there's no clear end in sight.”

“The food bank that serves the Washington area bought as much food in April as it would normally buy over three years as it scrambled to respond to an unprecedented level of need.”

“Food charities are coping with shortages of some consumer goods, a crush of donations of others and soaring demand as they reset logistics for the Covid-19 pandemic era.”

“About 10 percent of American adults, 22.3 million, reported they sometimes or often didn’t have enough to eat within the past week, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent Household Pulse Survey fielded between Aug. 19 and 31. That is up from 18 million before March 13.”

“Rates of food insecurity observed in April 2020 are meaningfully higher than at any point for which there is comparable data.”

“Demand for food assistance is rising at an extraordinary rate, just as the nation’s food banks are being struck by shortages of both donated food and volunteer workers.”