SAN DIEGO -- A new study is shedding light on just how many San Diegans are going hungry. The survey shows hundreds of thousands of local families have to rely on emergency food assistance. Nationally, one in every 8 Americans are being forced to do the same.

The study on hunger conducted by Feeding America found that 37 million Americans rely on emergency food assistance each year -- up 46 percent from 2006 when the study was last conducted. The study also showed 14 million of those Americans are under the age of 18.

In San Diego, many children wake up not knowing where their next meal will come from.

"I was really shocked by the number of people that are actually getting in line each and every week in San Diego County just to feed their families," said Gary McDonald of Feeding America.

The Hunger in America 2010 study released Tuesday found that 437,500 San Diegans receive emergency food assistance each year -- just over 73,000 during any given week. Of those numbers, only 7 percent were found to be homeless and 62 percent of participating households were found to have at least one employed adult, compared to 36 percent nationwide.

What was most surprising to experts was that 46 percent of those receiving emergency food in San Diego are under 18 years of age -- 8 percent higher than the national average.

"The people that are coming are walking in. They're going, 'I went to work today and I'm laid off and I've got kids and I can't feed my kids,'" said Renee Richardson of St. Vincent de Paul.

Rocio Llamas, a single mother of three and who works four jobs, can hardly put food on the table. She goes to St. Vincent de Paul's in Escondido twice a week to stock up on what she can.

"Sometimes, I cry in my house. I don't know what to do," she told 10News.

Add it all up, and Llamas said the hard times are taking a nasty toll.

"I'm receiving counseling for single parents and stress," Llamas said.

Feeding America said since 2006, one million more people are being served each week, nationwide.

Locally, the study included 80 partner agency surveys and just under 300 one-on-one client surveys.