INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana is one of the worst states when it comes to the affordability of food, according to the latest survey by Feeding Indiana’s Hungry (FIsH). The statewide association of food banks said 20 percent of respondents in its survey did not have enough money to buy food they or their family needed at some point during 2011.

Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of FIsH, said the information in the survey is part of a daily poll the organization has been taking since 2008. The goal of the daily polling is to compile as much information about hunger as possible in order to create a policy agenda to present to legislators.

“The new data shows us just how much people are struggling in our communities, and underline that far too many of them are finding it a challenge to afford enough food for their families,” said Bryant. “The data mirrors the trends of the annual report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture on food insecurity … and shows that the situation is not improving in Indiana, as it appears to have begun to in some other states.”

Bryant said she wasn’t surprised by the fact one in five Hoosiers is going hungry. “It’s pretty much what I expected. What we’ve seen is that there is some improvement in the rest of the country, but Indiana has remained the same.”

She said it is difficult to pinpoint why Indiana was stagnant in its efforts to reduce hunger, but that a large portion of it is because of a moribund manufacturing economy.

“There is stagnant employment in Indiana. It’s harder to find a job and people who are working aren’t working as many hours as they used to,” said Bryant.

She said the daily data on hunger FIsH collects is used to educate state leaders about the issue. “We use the information to ensure that those making policy decisions are aware of the situation,” she said. “People tend not to think about hunger, but we want to remind them there is a need for food assistance.”

In addition, the information is distributed among FisH’s network of 11 food banks so each is aware of the hunger situation in their area. The food banks that comprise FIsH are Food Bank of Northwest Indiana in Gary; Food Bank of Northern Indiana in South Bend; Food Finders Food Bank, Inc. in Lafayette; Community Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Indiana in Fort Wayne; Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, Inc. in Muncie; Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana in Indianapolis; Terre Haute Catholic Charities Foodbank; Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington; Tri-State Food Bank, Inc. in Evansville; Dare to Care Food Bank in Louisville, Ky.; and Freestore Foodbank in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“We think the data we’re compiling will be a good indication of a long-term need that must be addressed,” said Bryant.

She said the same type of data is being collected in other states. Nationally, it shows Indiana is 16th worst in addressing hunger needs, and that 20.3 percent of all households could not afford enough food last year. The number was identical to 2010.

The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) is leading the data collection with the help of the Gallup organization.

“Rising food prices, continuing high unemployment and underemployment and flat food stamp benefit allotments all contributed to the high food hardship rate in 2011,” said Jim Weill, president of FRAC.

“Particularly challenging was the increase in food inflation, especially for the foods the government uses to construct the Thrifty Food Plan, its cheapest diet. Food stamp beneficiaries lost more than 6 percent of their food purchasing power because of this increase.”

In addition to compiling statistics on the number of hungry, FRAC also is asking Hoosiers how they feel about the situation and what they would be willing to do to help.

Weill said the survey shows seven in 10 people think the federal government should have a major role in making sure low-income families and children have the food and nutrition they need. The poll also showed 75 percent of voters thought cutting food stamp assistance (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP) would be the wrong thing to do.

“Even in difficult times, this nation has the resources to eliminate hunger,” said Bryant. “This data shows that no community in our state is anywhere close to being hunger-free, and that more must be done to solve this problem.”

She remains hopeful the problem can be overcome. “There is no silver bullet for this. Our food banks are in this for the long haul,” she added.