Stories of hunger and poverty in the United States, with pictures

Greg Dawson considers himself lucky to still have work, as a night-shift electrician installing lights in a chain of grocery stores. He lives in the house he's building in Martinsville, Ohio, with his wife, Sheila, and their five children, and they get a $300 benefit through the food stamps program. "It's embarrassing," said Mr. Dawson, 29. "I always thought it was people trying to milk the system. But we just felt like we really needed the help right now."  Photo: Stephen Crowley/The New York Times

Across the United States, food stamp use soars and stigma fades--program now helps feed one in eight Americans and one in four children  Jason DeParle and Robert Gebeloff  New York Times November 28, 2009  More photos

Shane Palmer, right, kisses his fiancé, Maria Maior outside the storage unit they are living in with her 12-year-old son in a northwest Chicago suburb. The family of three splits time between their storage unit and motels following a job loss and a string of bad luck. Photo: David Pierini/ ChicagoTribune

Homeless students: increasingly, families taking shelter anywhere they can Bonnie Miller Rubin Chicago Tribune October 28, 2009 See Hunger Notes special report: the world financial, food and hunger crisis

Clinton Anchors, 18, in Medford, Ore., has been on his own, living in the streets and camping in the woods since he was 12. Photo: Monica Almeida/The New York Times

Recession drives surge in youth runaways Ian Urbina  New York Times October 5, 2009  How teens in Medford Oregon who have left home get by (video) 

Familes receive food at a food distribution organized every month by Hope for the Heart in Hayward.  Many people begin lining up for food the day before, and sleep overnight on the sidewalk in order to make sure they get their food before it runs out.  Photo: David Bacon

Hungry families sleep on the sidewalk, waiting for food in Hayward California (photos)  David Bacon August 15, 2009 More financial, food, and hunger crisis stories

After losing their jobs, Scott and Kelly Nichols watched their finances and options dwindle, eventually making the tough decision to move their family to Kelly's mother's basement in Michigan. Photo: Washington Post  See article for further pictures

For many Americans, nowhere to go but down Paul Schwartzman Washington Post August 5, 2009

A family cell for undocumented immigrants at the T. Don Hutto Residential Center, a former state prison near Austin, Tex., that drew an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit and scathing news coverage for putting young children behind razor wire.. The government will stop sending families there. Photo: L.M. Otero/New York Times

US government plans to overhaul immigration detainee system that currently places 400,000 people each year in 350 jails and prisons Nina Bernstein  New York Times  August 5, 2009

One location where a Chicago food bank is helping feed people that need food. Photo: BBC

Poverty hits African Americans hard  BBC News April 23, 2009  See video of food distribution 

Atlantic City homeless shelter video  BBC News April 22, 2009

Homeless victims of credit crunch  BBC News April 14, 2009