Regionally
Scouting for Food provides more food than any other food drive to the St. Louis Area Food Bank.  It supplies the Food Bank for three months each year.  Those who participate in the 20th annual Scouting for Food drive can be sure their food donations are going to people very much in need.  Following is specific information on St. Louis-area recipients:

• Approximately 147,000 people are helped annually.
• 43,580 people receive assistance each week.
• 36.6 percent of recipients are children.
• 8.2 percent are under the age of 5.
• 12 percent are elderly.
• 43.9 percent of client households have at least one household member in poor health.

Nationally
The St. Louis Area Food Bank is an agency belonging to America's Second Harvest, the nation's largest organization of emergency food providers. America's Second Harvest compiled the following statistics on emergency food recipients nationwide: 

• An estimated 23.3 million people receive emergency food from providers annually.
• 7 million people receive emergency food assistance in any given week.
• 39 percent of food recipients are children.
• 9 percent of those are under the age of 5.
• 11 percent are elderly.
• 64 percent are at or below the official poverty level.
• 29 percent of households have at least one household member in poor health.
• 10 percent are homeless.

Source: 2001 Hunger in America Study conducted by Americas Second Harvest