Hunger 101

One in six Americans faces hunger.  One third of those people have limited resources that force them to make difficult decisions between purchasing food or providing for other necessities, such as rent, utilities or medical needs.

Across the country, community members provide food resources to ensure that their own neighbors don’t have to go hungry—we exist to provide a healthy and nutritious meal to the people here in our Central New York community.

Here at the Samaritan Center, we find that our guests’ demographics reflect the national picture: 

  • Only about 17% of people eating with us are currently homeless or living at a shelter. However, 51% have experienced homelessness in the last year.
  • About 13% of our guests are part of a household with children.
  • 67% have their high school diploma or GED – 49% have gone on to pursue higher education.
  • 12% of our guests are currently employed
  • At least 11% of our guests are seniors.
  • 22% of those who eat with us have no income at all and a total of 54.5% have resources that total less than $500 in a month.

Many of our friends and neighbors don’t know where their next meal will come from.  If this is true for you or someone you love, please visit www.mybenefits.ny.gov to see if you are eligible for help and call us at the Samaritan Center so we can navigate this difficult road with you.

Make an Impact

If our guests and our mission have touched your heart, we urge you to join us in the fight to eradicate hunger in our community and around the globe.  You can make a world of a difference in so many ways: