Going hungry in the land of plenty

As Americans sit down for the traditional Thanksgiving meal, it’s worth pausing to consider how some new food statistics reflect the state of our nation and our times.

On one level, there’s something to give thanks for. Menu items for that classic dinner

The broader picture is more sobering. Just days before Thanksgiving, the government released a shocking statistic: The number of Americans who lack dependable access to adequate food soared last year to 49 million, including almost one child in four. That’s the largest number since records were first kept in 1995. Another report says that half of American kids will live at some point in households receiving food stamps.

Thankfully, the long bread lines that characterized the Great Depression are mostly absent. But anyone looking hard enough can find the signs of lean times in communities across the nation: in soaring applications for food stamps, in waves of home foreclosures, in high unemployment. Especially troubling at Thanksgiving