Hunger in America

New government statistics show that amid the nation's prosperity 31 million Americans --including 12 million children -- suffer from hunger or face the risk of hunger. Most are minorities and single moms with children. Food-bank operators say that as housing costs continue to rise and wages stagnate, many working families with children are forced to line up at food banks to feed their families. Meanwhile, participation in the federal food stamp program has declined by more than 7 million persons over the past three years. Skeptics say the decline proves that the hunger problem is exaggerated, but advocates for the hungry blame the lower participation on tightened eligibility criteria and red tape. Indeed, they say overcoming skepticism about hunger is one of the biggest problems they face.