The following information was compiled by Feeding America .

Number of Americans living in poverty [1]

• In 2007, nearly 37.3 million people (12.5%) were living in poverty.
• In 2007, 7.6 (9.8%) million families were living in poverty.
• In 2007, 13.3 million (18%) children under the age of 18 were living in poverty.
• In 2007, 3.6 million (9.7%) seniors 65 and older were living in poverty.

Number of Americans living in food insecurity and very low food security [2]

• In 2007, 36.2 million Americans lived in food insecure households, 23.8 million adults and 12.4 million children.
• In 2007, 11.1 percent of households (13 million) were food insecure.
• In 2007, households with children reported food insecurity at almost double the rate for those without children, 15.8 percent compared to 8.7 percent.
• In 2007, 6.5 percent of households with seniors (1.7 million) were food insecure (low food security and very low food security).

Use of Emergency Food Assistance and Federal Food Assistance Programs

• In 2007, 3.4 percent of all U.S. households (3.9 million) accessed emergency food from a food pantry one or more times.2
• In 2007, food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households were 19 times more likely than food secure households to have eaten a meal at an emergency kitchen.2
• In 2007, 53.9 percent of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the three major Federal Food Assistance Programs - Food Stamp Program, The National School Lunch Program, and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children.2
• Feeding America provides emergency food assistance to approximately 4.5 million different people in any given week.3