New statistics released by the U.S. Census Bureau reveal that an alarming 25.1 percent of African American households do not have enough food. The Christian Post is reporting that 25.1 percent of African-American households and 29.2 percent of all U.S. households with children are “food insecure.”

“While there are indicators that the economy is recovering, children and ethnic minorities that were disproportionately impacted during the recession continue to struggle and lag behind in the recovery,” explained Leonetta Elaiho, director of Youth and Community Engagement, U.S. Programs at World Vision, in an email statement to The Christian Post.

“Food insecurity is one of the clear ways that the impacts of poverty show up for families. The high cost of food, lack of accessibility and other competing financial pressures leave families with difficult decisions to make and stark realities to face,” Elaiho added.

The problem is particularly acute in Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, Kansas, Minnestoa, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania where the African-American poverty rates are double and sometimes triple the national poverty rate.

Numbers like these are notable for the U.S., which usually ranks high on the list of countries with the best standard of living. The most recent list released in March by the Human Development Report Office shows the U.S. now in third place behind Norway and Australia.

The U.S. Bishops have been very vocal in their pleas to the government to do more to alleviate the suffering of the poor during this country’s ongoing economic instability. This is one of the reasons why they became signatories in the Circle of Protection program along with other Christian leaders who are committed to resisting budget cuts that undermine the lives, dignity, and rights of the poor and vulnerable among us. Together, they pledge to form a circle of protection around programs that meet the essential needs of the poor to insure their continued funding in the face of budget cuts and sequestration threats.

“The Bible teaches that civil authority comes from God, and God calls for protection of poor and vulnerable people,” says the Circle of Protection Pastoral Letter. “Government is imperfect, and there are legitimate differences over how the government should carry out its responsibilities. These should be debated. Assuring government’s obligation to advance the common good, ensure fairness, and defend the most vulnerable is good religion and good politics.”

Defending the poor has always been an essential message of the Church and one that is gaining new prominence since the election of Pope Francis, the former Cardinal Jorge Borgoglio of Argentina who was a well-known advocate of the poor.

At his inaugural Mass, he once again promised himself to the service of the less fortunate, saying that the pontiff “must open his arms to protect all of God’s people and embrace with tender affection the whole of humanity, especially the poorest, the weakest, the least important.”

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