How in America can people work and still struggle to make ends meet? It seems impossible—and yet it’s true, especially in this economy.

Newspapers across the country are telling us that more and more people are facing poverty and unemployment–and ultimately seeking assistance from charities or the government to make ends meet. The Financial Times reports that 40 percent of the families now receiving SNAP (formerly Food Stamps) benefits have earned income—an increase of 25 percent from two years ago.

This increase in the number of working poor is largely due to forced reduced work hours: the average work week is currently 33 hours, the lowest on record, and the number of people forced into part-time work because they cannot find full-time work has risen more than 50 percent in the last year.

No matter the reason, an increase in the number of working poor is a sad reminder that even “playing by the rules,” or earning an income, may not be enough to sustain a family.

For thirty years, Feed The Children has been battling hunger domestically and globally. Through food drops, backpack distributions, school-based feeding programs and more, Feed The Children distributed 133 million pounds of food and other essentials to children and families in all 50 states and in 34 foreign countries last year, supplementing more than 760,000 meals a day worldwide. Although Feed The Children helps sustain people everywhere, we’ve never forgotten the old adage: charity begins at home.

In Oklahoma City, where Feed The Children is based, 16% of the population lives below the poverty level, or on less than $18,310 annually for a family of 3. The unemployment rate is 6%, meaning that 34,000 individuals are struggling to find work. The need here, like many other places in America, is great.

On Wednesday, September 30, Feed The Children will be conducting a food drop right here in Oklahoma City. Together with Grammy and Dove Award-winning recording artist, the legendary Sandi Patty, Feed The Children will distribute food and personal care items to people who need a helping hand.

Oklahoma City has a tradition of pulling together to help those who need it most. Feed The Children is proud to be a part of that long-standing tradition—and will continue to play a role in helping its most vulnerable citizens.

Experts are saying that the current recession is the nation’s worst since the Depression. Seven million people have lost their jobs since the start of the recession, effectively canceling out job growth for the past nine years. One telltale sign that this is a time unlike any our country has ever seen is that more people than ever are turning to assistance—whether public or private.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, is a program that provides individuals and families with assistance in the form of a “debit” card that allows them to purchase food products. Last week, the USDA, which administers the SNAP Program, reported that 35 million people are currently receiving SNAP benefits—that’s a 6 million person increase in one year and a 700,000 person increase in just a month. It also represents more participants than ever in the program’s history.

While it is a tragedy that so many millions of people need help feeding their families, it is good to know that food assistance resources are available, including SNAP and Feed The Children food and personal care boxes. Together, Feed The Children and government programs like SNAP can and will make a significant difference in hungry Americans’ lives.