Brattleboro Area Drop In Center

A Place of Welcome, Warmth, and Peace

LOCAL HUNGER FACTS

In 2006 the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center Food Shelf served:

• 5504 unduplicated people and 763 people with other services such as homeless outreach, housing placement, and case management up 24% over 2005

In 2004-2005 the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center Food Shelf served:

• 1929 unduplicated households, up 17% over 2003-2004

In which resided:

• 2116 unduplicated children, up 5% over 2003-2004
• 3599 unduplicated adults, up 15% over 2003-2004
• An average of 176 elders a month, up 7% over 2003-2004
• 214 unduplicated Veterans, up 3% over 2003-2004
• 417 unduplicated homeless persons, up 53% over 2003-2004

In 2004 the Drop In Center Food Shelf gave 1288 holiday food baskets, up 23% over 2003. The Center also gave holiday toys to 1026 children.

Between January 2005 and March 2005, the Center stayed open around the clock as an overflow shelter and provided 194 bed nights for people homeless and on the street when other area shelters were full. This saved the community over $8,730 in costs had the same people been placed in motels.

In the past year the food shelf gave out over 34,450 bags of food, and area households used the shelf 12, 332 times. Families and individuals are using the shelf more frequently, as well as many new working households who are coming in for services. Over 1030 households use the Food Shelf each month, and over 2870 bags of groceries are given out each month.

The Drop In Center Food Shelf serves households in Brattleboro and 51 surrounding towns; as well as distributing some funding, and excess bulk food donations, to over 15 area programs who also feed hungry people.

When schools close for vacations, children who depend on free and reduced price school meals for one or two of their major daily nutrition sources, lose access to that resource, thus straining tight family food budgets even further.

In past years when children did not have access to school meals or summer and vacation feeding programs, families have increased their use of the Drop In Center Food Shelf by up to 83%. Undernutrition affects a child's ability to learn, to grow, to become a productive adult.

Elders on fixed incomes often have to choose between food and medicine or heat in order to survive.

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STATE AND NATIONAL HUNGER AND POVERTY FACTS

An estimated 21,000 Vermont children are hungry or at risk of hunger, 3.5% of Vermont households report going to bed hungry.

20.8% of Vermont children live in poverty compared to 16.9% nationally, and many are unsure where their next meal will come from.

Food Shelf use by working Vermont households increased 23% between 2003 and 2005.

12, 583,000 United States households are currently hungry or at risk.

Food Stamps pay for less than 52% of a family's food needs.

Food Stamps cannot be used to buy toilet paper, soap and detergent, diapers, baby fever reducer, and other basic household needs.