EAST PALO ALTO, Calif.--Once a week, Altagracia Hernandez boards a bus near her tiny two-bedroom apartment in East Palo Alto, Calif., and heads to the Ecumenical Hunger Program (EHP) on Puglas Road to stock up on a three-day supply of canned foods and fresh produce.
If money is really tight, as it often is, Hernandez, 37, does the two-mile trip on foot--pushing her shopping cart.
There’s not much left for food, let alone bus fare, from her husband Joe’s job as a parking attendant in San Mateo, after paying the $1,500 rent for the apartment in this largely Hispanic neighborhood. The local St. Vincent de Paul Society supplements the EHP handouts.
Going to Bed Hungry
Hernandez said she tries to make sure that her children never go to bed hungry, but she doesn’t always succeed.
“There are times when I’ve had to say there’s not enough food tonight,” Hernandez said softly, as her two younger children, Jose, 10, and Yarixa, 4, sat by her side, munching on snacks they had just picked up at the EHP.
The Hernandez family is a part of the growing number of Californians in poverty hit by the economic downturn. U.S. Census figures released this week indicate that more than 6 million people in the Golden State, more than 2 million of them children, lived in poverty last year, an increase for the sixth straight year.
“These new data provide a sobering portrait of the economic hardship facing millions of Californians, observed Daniel Zingale, senior vice president of The California Endowment (TCE), a nonprofit that is trying to improve the health of Californians. “They show how far we’ve fallen from the Clinton era of prosperity.”
Data from a Gallup survey released three weeks ago by the Food Research and Action Center show that one in four California families lack enough money to buy food at times for themselves or their families. The poll also revealed that of the top 20 metropolitan areas in the nation facing food hardship, four are in California.
Last year, just over 16 percent of Californians lived below the federal poverty line of $10,830 for an individual and $22,050 for a family of four, according to the U.S. Census. That is greater than the national level of 15 percent, among the highest in recent decades.
More than one out of five Californians under age 65 (21.4 percent) lacked health coverage in 2010, up from 19.6 percent in 2006. The share of Californians below 65 with job-based health insurance was 52.9 percent last year, down from 56.4 percent in 2006.
Although eight in nine of the state’s children have health insurance coverage, among the 11 percent not covered, California has 773,000 uninsured children living in low-income families (below 200 percent of the federal poverty level). That represents one of seven low-income, uninsured children nationally.
Also, between 2009 and 2010, there was a slight uptick in the number of uninsured children in California, from just under a million to slightly over a million—a rise of 42,000.
Between 2007 and 2010, nearly a half million fewer children in California (449,000) had private health insurance, while over 600,000 more children relied on public coverage like Medicaid, according to the just-released U.S. Census data.
Insurance Lack Driving More Into Poverty
Hernandez’s three children are on the Healthy Families program--a health insurance program for low-income children. Her husband, Joe, has insurance through his job, but she has none and goes to a neighborhood community health clinic when she falls sick.
She is among the state’s nearly 7 million uninsured--the largest number of any state. That number is “driving more and more families into poverty,” observed TCE’s Zingale.
“But there is hope on the horizon. The number of insured will increase as the [Affordable Care Act] takes effect,” Zingale said, referring to the new health care reform law. “That will bring down the cost for all of us.”
Through a series of ethnic media briefings, TCE has spearheaded efforts to make ethnic communities in California more aware of the new health care reform law signed into law by President Obama. It will provide health insurance for the country’s legal residents. (TCE funded New America Media to organize those briefings.)
Concerned by drastic cut in California’s census outreach budget--from $25 million in 2000 to $2 million in 2010--The California Endowment (TCE) fund invested $4 million in U.S. Census outreach to hard-to-count communities so that the state’s underserved population would not be undercounted. Government agencies use census figures to determine the budget allocations for service programs. More than 20 other funders matched TCE’s investment with contributions totaling more than $5 million.
On a recent day, families at the Ecumenical Hunger Program Center quickly snapped up loaves of bread donated by food banks and left on shelves outside the center’s front door. Some family members then checked at the front desk to see if blankets, backpacks or furniture they had requested came in.
The center has seen a significant rise in clients in the last four years, from 3,707 in 2008 to 4,507 so far this year.
“In recent years, we have seen more people coming in more frequently,” observed Leisa Preston, EHP’s executive director.
A "Food Desert"
To make matters worse for East Palo Alto residents, the city is a food desert – a place where access to healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables is either limited, too expensive or even non-existent. The nonprofit organization, Collective Roots, recently launched a community-farmers’ market.
When the food she collects from the EHP and St. Vincent de Paul Society runs out, the nearby Taco Bell and McDonald’s are sometimes the only affordable places to satisfy Hernandez’s kids’ hunger -- possibly one of the reasons why her two younger children have been diagnosed as obese. On the children’s pediatrician’s advice, she and her children will soon begin classes at the obesity prevention program at Stanford University.
Hernandez said she is always looking for sales in the one supermarket the town opened last year.
Outside her home is a large bin filled with empty plastic bottles and soda cans. Hernandez said she collects these from neighbors’ trash cans and sells them in a recycling store to supplement her husband Joe’s $1,800 monthly income. Some weekends, Joe changes the oil on his neighbor’s cars and does other odd jobs for them to make an extra buck or two.
But despite the couple’s best efforts to keep their refrigerator well stocked, there are days when there’s “just not enough food,” Hernandez lamented.
“I would like to give them more fruits and vegetables, but that’s not always possible,” she said with a sigh.
2010 Census Shows 2 Million California Kids in Poverty
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Posted Sep 14 2011
People are in poverty because they don't have jobs.People who work pay taxes and make more money available to social services.People also are able to give money to charities.Right now it is every person for themself.Odarkie has spent the last 3 yrs. doing everything except taking care of the economy.
Posted Sep 14 2011
How many of those 2 million don't belong here legally?
Posted Sep 14 2011
God forbid we help fellow Americans/Children, but let's make sure we borrow from China to give the rich tax breaks. Let's make sure we continue to give billion in tax payer subsidies to big oil that makes trillions in revenues.
Current day conservatives have their priorities in the gutter.
Posted Sep 14 2011
God forbid we help fellow Americans/Children, but let's make sure we borrow from China to give the rich tax breaks. Let's make sure we continue to give billion in tax payer subsidies to big oil that makes trillions in revenues.
Current day conservatives have their priorities in the gutter.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Oh my and which Liberals and Unions and Enviro-Nuts are responsible for this? And no Arnold wasn't a Republican he was a certified closet Demokrat.
The Enviro-Nuts would have us all living in caves to 'save the planet'. Just a note...Earth will be here, with or without us.
Let's get rid of the nut cases and get this state back to the Golden State instead of the State of Confusion it is now.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Why do we have so many illegals in this state? Right now for a lot of US citizens it is hard times, so if the illegals are having a tough time, go back from where you came from.
Posted Sep 14 2011
It's funny how I often see you fucking inbred redneck fucks on here or Yahoo or any other so called "liberal media" talking your garbage on who is here legally and illegally. You are the reason everyone in the world wants to kill whitey. the fact is that none of you are here legally and that is a FACT! Your ancestors came here hungry and disease ridden and stold everything and now when you see mexicans trying to make a living on stolen land you get all bent out of shape. well I can tell you that you and others like you are running out of time and no guns will help you. This birds for you and I hope to see you all rot on the streets soon!
Posted Sep 14 2011
what's wrong ? doesn't that job they stole from an american pay enough?because of illegals, my trade is paying the same as i made 35 years ago. try to keep a home when illegals have driven the wages down to less than half of what i'm used to making.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Well what about the money he gets from the state for the kids ? What about the money he gets for rent subsity, no mention of this in the artical. On $1800.00 mo income, how on earth can they pay $1500.00 for an apt, leaving $300.00 for the remainder of the mo. ?
Posted Sep 14 2011
All white people's fault why we real Americans suffer. You let all these illegals and foreigners in here (Indians with their H-1 visas doing IT work) and now Americans don't have a freaking job... I hope the white race in America rots in hell!
Posted Sep 14 2011
I hate how we as Americans we're obsessed with helping the world at large - without first addressing our own social woes.
Posted Sep 14 2011
The answer is simple: IF YOU CAN'T FEED 'EM, DON'T BREED 'EM!!!
Posted Sep 14 2011
They get to go to Friggen Stanford?? and, my daughter was ill with an infection, with no insurance, we took her to a clinic. It took 600$ to diagnose a bladder infection.What the hell clinic is this lady going to for cheap? and, if she can take the bus to the food bank, she can take a bus to a neighborhood that sells fresh produce. This may seem like a let them eat cake attitude, but the truth is migrants don't think of ways to help themselves to a better life through their own effort, they want a handout. A better life isn't here apparently, maybe it's in their motherland.
Posted Sep 14 2011
The parents use handouts to suppliment their living. Why doesn't dad get a second job, like my husband does ??!!
Also, those children don't look like they have gone hungry to many times . They are over their normal weight. I'd like to see a picture of the parents!
Posted Sep 14 2011
they dont look hungry
Posted Sep 14 2011
Sorry but neither of those fat little mexicans look like they are starving!
Posted Sep 14 2011
Have the nads to post as other than anonymous.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Jerry Brown and the politicians have misappropriated all the money and now they want to tax more, raise the price of gas, keep people from doing business in the State. California has always been a give away State too but now they have screwed up the school system, the roads and streets, jobs and they want you to give them more? Brown took over from another scumbag Swartzanegger and then he turns his scumbag bunch loose on the State and he cannot do anything unless he texes more. We are out of money, out of patients, out of houses, out of jobs so tax the jerkoffs who sit in those seats in the Capital in Sacramento. Yeah try going without a paycheck with the rest of us and show us you feel our pain. I am sick of politicians, both parties.
Posted Sep 14 2011
I lived in Richmond, and went to a tech school in Oakland, and part of the problem is poor, uneducated people keep having kids, often while they are still "kids" themselves.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Someone who is in poverty shouldn't be spending $1500 on rent. That's more than I spend and I am single and childless. Move to a cheaper apartment (like out of Palo Alto for instance) and get it together. This is literally shocking to me that a parking attendant would spend that much money on rent. Hello??? There is a simple fix to this. Even if you got a one bedroom and had the kids sleep on a fold out couch for $1000/month you'd have money to spare. However there are cheaper places to live out there.
Wake up.
Posted Sep 14 2011
her children are obese ,maybe she should watch the movie fatso with dom deluise and then chain the cabnets and put a lock on the frige door. both children are going to cost taxpayers a butt load down the road. this story might have been more effective if they used a family from africa .
Posted Sep 14 2011
I have to agree, How many of these hungrey folks are here Illegally. I am tired of all this. What do these people give back to this country. They come over here and take take take.
Posted Sep 14 2011
who cares if this children's parents are legal or illegal this kids are American citizen and they are hungry. Some people is blamed illegals for this bad economy yes there is some problems with it but
take a look at how much government expend on wars for nothing only killing people cutting tax to
riches oil companies, banks, big corps, ......I regretted vote for Obama and being democrat, you work you deserve it stop feeding those homeless people their like that because they want to be ,alcohol drugs, and messing the streets is their every day life .
Posted Sep 14 2011
the girl looks 35yrs old this is just another fat mexican sob story.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Yeah, but they don't count the weed-dealing 1,000,000 of them and their families do. The numbers are skewed
Posted Sep 14 2011
528M were given to Solyndra from our tax moneys; shortly after this company if filling for bankrupcy. Some other millions to banks. My tax money goes no-where; by the time I retire, SS will be non-existent so there goes more of my hard earned money to this f*****g governament. I can't hep but be mad when I hear this stories.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Yeah, but they don't count the weed-dealing 1,000,000 on public benefits do to close the gap. The numbers are skewed.
Posted Sep 14 2011
No problem get a part time job in crime to supplement.
Posted Sep 14 2011
No problem get a part time job in crime to supplement.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Wow! What narrowminded comments. In fact there are people who are homeless and down on their luck and they are not illegal, mentally ill or drug addicts/alcoholics and they do work and they are not making it. Stop griping at others and pointing blaming fingers because your life isn't great! If you look to the right place, the only ones making it from the economic hardship are the populace that have wads of money. Companies take advantage of the worker and still make good profit. The government can't agree to address the lack of jobs. If you think living off of subsidy of any kind is easy, try it yourself and then talk about it. Being poor can make you overweight, because the food available is not the best for you.
These comments from a middleclass working person who pays for others to survive and looks out for myself and the village!
Posted Sep 14 2011
These kids don't look hungry to me. Actually, they could afford to shed a few pounds.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Yeah, but they don't count the weed-dealing 1,000,000 on public benefits do to close the gap. The numbers are skewed.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Yeah, but they don't count the weed-dealing 1,000,000 on public benefits do to close the gap. The numbers are skewed.
Posted Sep 14 2011
poverty???? judgeing by ''YAHOO'S picture , how can 300lbs fat mexicans kid's be starving???
Posted Sep 14 2011
poverty???? judgeing by ''YAHOO'S picture , how can 300lbs fat mexicans kid's be starving???
Posted Sep 14 2011
Thank Corporate America! American must have a Socialist Government!
Posted Sep 14 2011
judgeing by yahoos pic,300lb mexican kids are starving???? WTF
Posted Sep 14 2011
McDonald's and Taco Bell....SERIOUSLY? That's why they are broke.
Who spends $1 on a taco with a 1/2 ounce of meat when MiPueblo grocery store across the street will sell you 1 pound of marinated chicken for the same price.
Honestly, when we were growing up broke in other states, we didn't buy design T-shirts and eat at restaurants. We had 4 people living in cheap 1 room studio housing ($900 in this area), bought beans and raman noodles ($1/day), with both parents working long hours, if only cutting grass across town. Every penny was saved for college tuition so the kids would never live that way. We spent no money on TV, video games, bikes, or anything else. The only money spent was on education.
And if we couldn't afford to live in one of the nicest climates in the world, we moved to a cheaper location where people weren't able to demand high rent. Try Oklahoma (rent $250/month and more jobs). We didn't give charity to live in Hawaii.
As someone else said, you can't be fat and starving....this area never learned priorities.
It's really dangerous when a community decides to provide charity as a means to sustain families for decades in high-demand climates. Crime increases as handouts become expectations. Communities should always minimize income disparity, not accommodate it. Why is it career people with 6 figure salaries are willing to leave CA for better lives, but poverty stricken people only expect handouts to live in high income areas?
They see people better off then themselves and want to live that way, giving up the future for a BigMac today.
Posted Sep 14 2011
stop having kids
Posted Sep 14 2011
Sorry...but these kids don't look like they are going to bed hungry to often. I didn't know this is what starvation looks like these days.
When the free food runs out...they can ONLY eat Taco Bell or MacDonalds. This article is a load of crap. It is $3.00 for a Happy Meal x 2 = $6.00 She can easily buy a piece a of chicken at the grocery cook it and eat it. Healthier than eating fast food.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Sorry...but these kids don't look like they are going to bed hungry to often. I didn't know this is what starvation looks like these days.
When the free food runs out...they can ONLY eat Taco Bell or MacDonalds. This article is a load of crap. It is $3.00 for a Happy Meal x 2 = $6.00 She can easily buy a piece a of chicken at the grocery cook it and eat it. Healthier than eating fast food.
One more thing....Food Desert in East Palo Alto. Another load of crap. They have all kind of knew stores in EPA also Palo Alto is a short walk away.. I know... I've walked it.
Posted Sep 14 2011
This article failed to mention if Altagracia Hernandez was a legal resident.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Are they legal or illegal,or habitual welfare recipients or both
Posted Sep 14 2011
Maybe its time for the ignorant blacks and Mexicans to stop pumping out kids?
Posted Sep 14 2011
This is exactly what is wrong with America. These two kids go to bed hungry like millions more just like them. But it is all their fault. Can't even one of you jerks try to come up with a solution or something good to say. While I write this and you read this and you think of something stupid to say maybe just maybe they they might like to have something to eat. Give that just 10 seconds of thought.
Posted Sep 14 2011
They would have been dirt-poor Mexicans, or, dead by the age of 5 if they are south of the border. they are now fed and clothed and schooled with California tax payer money, so dont complain.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Poor uneducated immigrants from third world countries are destroying America.
They don't care if they can afford kids or not, they state will pay for them, free insurance, food, housing. Deport them all!!!
Posted Sep 14 2011
So, the two kids in this photo are going to bed hungry? Hmmmm. Just sayin.....
Posted Sep 14 2011
So, the two kids in this photo are going to bed hungry? Hmmmm. Just sayin.....
Posted Sep 14 2011
Oh my God, this is preposterous. Those kids need to lose weight, not to be fed. I wonder if those who write such articles and post such photographs have a slightest idea of how hungry children really look and where they are. And where have you seen people in poverty paying $1,500 monthly for an apartment? Disgusting.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Are we supossed to feel sorry? I bet daddy has beer and "smoking materials". If they think it is so bad, why did they sneak in here? Everybody has their hand out the day they gey here.
"YOU BREED EM, YOU FEED EM". The usual lack of self control, seen over and over.
Posted Sep 14 2011
I just dont see a problem. I work 2 jobs 6 days a week and I live within my limits. Yes I have a car and I pay insurance and own a home and pay insurance and have health insurance that I pay for out of pocket. And I'm kinda fat. I love this country.
Posted Sep 14 2011
I know East Palo Alto and most of the Mexicans there are illegal. America owes them nothing. I'm sure this country is so gratful for her husband coming here and working at the important national job as a parking attendant. How much do you think they get in food stamps, free medical etc. These kids don't look like there starving to me.
Posted Sep 14 2011
Most of the opinions posted disgust me. It doesn't take much to go from a have to a have not. Poverty and homelessness can happen to you too, it doesn't take much to tip the balance in a seemingly secure little life. Ask yourself honestly how well you could adapt to living the life that these people do before you judge them as worthless. The poor work harder than most, yet you pass judgement, you would cry like a baby in their shoes.
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