BY SCOTT MONROE

Staff Writer

A report researched by students at Unity College says that hunger is a growing problem in Waldo County and more community action is needed to help people makes ends meet.

The report was unveiled Tuesday night at the 14th annual Empty Bowls dinner at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts.

The "Hunger at Home" report was compiled by students as part of an environmental citizen class taught by Nancy Ross, an associate professor of environmental policy.

"This comprehensive research project on area hunger provides a real-time snapshot of need within the Waldo County area," said Jennifer Olin, a community-based learning coordinator at Unity College.

The students examined trends in food stamp use at local grocers, food pantry use and school nutrition programs; date from the U.S. census, Maine state government and other sources for information on poverty rates and hunger.

They also conducted more than 30 interviews with hunger relief program managers and volunteers, community leaders and other experts. The report released Tuesday summarizes the major findings of the class; more detailed reports on programs that involve community feeding, schools and food stamps will be released at the end of the college's semester.

The report notes that, with a national economic recession and rising costs, "low income workers are having more and more difficulty feeding their families, and many parents are going hungry so their children can eat."

Among the report's key findings:

• In Waldo County, which includes Unity, more than one in five children lives in poverty.

• At Unity's elementary school, the proportion of children who are eligible for free or reduced-price school lunch has risen 11 percentage points, to 77 percent. That is almost double the state average and among the highest in Maine.

• The number of families in Unity enrolled in the federal food stamp program has increased almost 5 percent in the last year.

Statistics show that hunger is prevalent throughout Maine. According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Maine was one of two states in 2007 with the greatest increase in food insecurity. Maine was also ranked No. 2 in the prevalence of "very low food security."

The report also examines "unmet needs" in addressing hunger issues, including inadequate resources for emergency food providers such as the Good Shepherd Food Bank. There are also problems with access to the state of Maine's poverty programs, the report says, with transportation and disability being key factors.

Another problem is funding, particularly at the federal level, according to the report. "If more money were allocated to the federal food stamp program, people would not have to rely so heavily on local feeding programs that are almost totally dependent on private donations and volunteers," the report says.

The Unity class also conducted an experiment: Students took the circumstances of anonymous Maine families and attempted to balance a budget and plan healthy meals.

"It was very difficult and heart wrenching," the report says.

The report lists several recommended actions for Unity College to undertake, including building links with the local food pantry, supporting an increase in food production at the elementary school, hiring a permanent farm manager for the community garden, researching the needs of elderly people in the community, and raising more awareness and money for food programs.

Scott Monroe -- 861-9253, 487-3288

smonroe@centralmaine.com