i am joined by vicki b. escarra, from "feeding america."nor to have you here. >> thank you, good to be here. tavis: september was the month when these census numbers came out. it puts the number at $50 million in poverty. this is hunger awareness month. >> the link between poverty and hunger is like other things linked to poverty. 50 million people in our country live in hunger. 16 million children. the link is there. we were stunned by the numbers and were a bit pleased because it looks like the food and security numbers hold their own. the work w are doing is helping to feed 50 million people. >> holding their own. how long can they hold on. what kind of increased demand have you been getting? >> in the last three years, hunger increased by 50% and it increased more than with kids. out of that number, people who never visited a food bank come to our network at 30%. it is hard to wrap your head around 50 million people. but the stories about the people resonate with me and others in this work. as we go through america, we see these familie

conversations about poverty with kathleen sebelius, economist jeffrey sachs, cornel west, jim wallis and vicki escarra. i hope he will join this next week as we expose the new face of poverty in america during the party toward. a call to conscious. that is our shore for tonight. good night from los angeles. as always, keep the faith. >> for more information on today's show, visit tavis smiley at pbs.org. tavis: hi, i'm tavis smiley. join me next time for a conversation with tom morello and chris evans. >> every community has a martin luther king boulevard. it's the cornerstone we all know. it's not just a street or boulevard, but a place where wal-mart stands together with your community to make every day better. >> nationwide insurance supports tavis smiley. with every question and answer, help tavis improve financial literacy and remove obstacles to economic empowerment one conversation at a time. nationwide is on your side. >> and by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. thank you. [captioning made possible by kcet public television] 

>> reporter: vicki escarra runs feeding america, which provides emergency food aid to 200 food banks. >> we cannot do this by ourselves. we have got to have support on these federal programs and congress has got to step up. >> a lot of canned items, are most of these things from food banks? >> a lot of them are. >> reporter: a third of those who use a food bank at least once a month are over the age of 60. how is retirement? >> financially speaking? it's extreme. it really is. >> reporter: with gas prices up 30% and groceries up 6%, it seems the only thing staying steady is coleman's fixed income just a thousand dollars a month from social security. >> we are the backbone of the country. we helped to build this country and if we put in our 40, 50 years of work and hard work in this country then, you know, don't just turn your back on us and say "you're on your own." >> reporter: most here retired years ago. going back to work isn't an option. but neither is going hungry. >> thank you very much. >> reporter: seth doane, cbs news, plainfield, new jersey. >> o'donnell: that's the "cbs e