During the Covid pandemic shut-downs, the demand for food was the greatest we had ever seen, particularly for our delivery service. While society might be open again, the need for food isn't receding. In fact, it continues to rise at alarming rates. November was the busiest month we've seen since before Covid, and according to various reports, food insecurity has been growing pretty much everywhere. Here's where the Neighborhood House Food Security program is this quarter compared to last year's number of people served: Individuals served is up 26% Households served is up 28% Visits to the pantry are up 25% Individuals served multiple times is up 27% Pounds distributed is up 21% That's even higher than Food Security Program Manager Jim Cooper expected to see when he ran the stats. Jim and his staff are looking forward to moving into our new building, where the Food Security space will triple in size. We've planned this move and expansion to serve the increasing need, but more needs to be done to address the underlying causes of hunger. People want to be able to provide for themselves. This current environment isn't allowing for that. #foodsecurity
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Working with our feeding network has taught us that while many individuals come to their organizations for food, it is the wrap-around services that truly can change lives. That’s why it’s vital to support the important work of community organizations that address broader issues such as health outcomes, educational attainment and the ability to earn a living wage. Read our recent blog, North Texas Food Bank and Partners: Fighting Food Insecurity in our Communities, at https://lnkd.in/g3yh-TXx.
North Texas Food Bank and Partners: Fighting Food Insecurity in our Communities
https://ntfb.org
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If you’ve just sat down to a delicious meal, don’t take it for granted… Shockingly, food relief organisations tell me that demand for free food is now far higher than in Covid, with employed people on low incomes joining the queues of people who can’t afford to eat. As people struggle to pay their bills amid the cost-of-living crisis, they are forgoing food in order to pay for housing, health and heating. According to FoodBank’s 2022 Hunger Report, over two million Australian households had experienced severe food insecurity in the preceding 12 months. And the situation is only getting worse. Food relief organisations within our local area urgently need funding and support so they can meet the increasing demand for food relief as the cost-of-living crisis continues to impact our communities. In June I asked the Council to consider further support for food relief organisations. In response the City has created a new $5.1 million program that will support projects and programs that improve access to affordable, healthy, safe and culturally appropriate food for our diverse communities. OzHarvest, Addi Road Community Organisation and First Nations Response addressed Council last week. I’m incredibly appreciative of their work, and the insight they shared with us to help shape the program. OzHarvest says that demand for free food has never been so high, with charities they service having seen a 73 per cent increase in need and over a third of clients seeking food relief for the first time. First Nations Response has seen requests for their culturally appropriate, community-led support double since late 2022. Addison Road’s Camperdown Food Pantry has seen a 32 per cent increase in demand in the past year, and are increasingly seeing low-income workers whose capacity to buy food has decreased as their rents have increased, including nurses. This the heartbreaking reality of food insecurity in Sydney. I call on the State and Federal Governments to step up and join us in providing urgent and ongoing financial support for food relief organisations amid the cost-of-living crisis.
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Food insecurity has reached its highest level in 20 years. At Food Bank For New York City this isn't just a statistic; it's a daily reality. In a country like ours, no one should ever have to go without food. Let's make a difference. Share this post. Give if you can. Together, we can tackle hunger! [Link to the report: https://lnkd.in/eSt_8qis]
Feeding America study shows the amount of money people facing hunger need to be food secure reaches highest level in 20 years
prnewswire.com
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Food insecurity across Washington County and Appalachia is a shared concern between CNX and Food Helpers. In addition to supporting the organization’s 471 Kids Challenge, we’re active partners addressing these local issues on a micro and macro level. President and CEO of Food Helpers, George Omiros, expresses the impact of this partnership over the years in a recent Positive Energy Hub piece: https://lnkd.in/eCa74B3Z “Natural gas has created significant economic opportunities for our region, and supporting individuals, families, and businesses so they can take advantage of this new economy will help break the cycles that lead to food insecurity. We applaud CNX Resources and CNX Foundation for filling in funding gaps and taking steps to address this critical, urgent issue in our region.” #AppalachiaFirst
Food Helpers, CNX Resources Join Forces to Address Food Insecurity in Washington County and Beyond
positiveenergyhub.com
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Alarming new statistics from Feeding America's recent Map the Meal Gap study reveal that Texas is the most food insecure state in the country, with nearly 5 million people facing hunger. Within the North Texas Food Bank's 13-county service area, 1 in 8 people are confronted by food insecurity, ranking it as the nation’s fourth-largest area of food insecurity. Shockingly, the rate of child food insecurity has surged to 20.8%, a distressing rise from the previous year's rate of 15.8%. These numbers are a call to action for all of us to come together and find solutions to combat food insecurity in our communities. #FoodInsecurity #MaptheMealGap
New study reveals Texas tops the nation in hunger crisis
https://www.nbcdfw.com
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Food is a fundamental human right, and it’s unacceptable that many families still struggle to put food on the table. No one should have to suffer from hunger or food insecurity, especially in a world where there is enough food to go around. Ensuring that all individuals have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food is essential for their well-being, health, and dignity. It’s a matter of social justice, and we should work together to address the root causes of hunger and food insecurity. Feed Canada Association is doing its part to combat these issues by providing support and resources to those in need. Through various front-yard food pantries and participation in other programs and initiatives, Feed Canada works to distribute food to underserved communities, advocate for policy changes, and raise awareness about the importance of food security. By partnering with local organizations, food banks, and volunteers, Feed Canada ensures that food is efficiently directed to families facing food insecurity. #communitysupport. #canada #foodsecurity. #strongcommunity.
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Halifax County is in such a great need of food for those in need. See statistics below! Hitachi Energy South Boston was able to talk with the Jane Jones Food Pantry and create a partnership where Hitachi donates and supplies volunteers when they have a shortage of helpers. See below information about the Jane Jones Food Pantry and information about Halifax County. 1. 17% live below the poverty level. 2. 32% of the population are the working poor. 3. Combined, 49% of the population lives below the median income of $43,714 which is 39% less than the state median income level of $76,398. 4. The 65 age population is 23.1% and increases annually adding to more residents living on a fixed income and in need of a food assistance program. 5. 19% of the 65 age population live in poverty. 6. 29.5% of the population lacks basic literacy. Resources: Southside Planning District Commission Comprehensive Plan 2017-2037, Halifax County, Virginia; United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) Project 2020 Each month the Food Pantry serves on average 145 households, which costs approximately $2,000 depending upon the number of clients served. The clients receive supplemental nutritional food to provide monthly hunger relief for qualifying residents in Halifax County, located in southern Virginia. The food items include canned vegetables, fruit, soup, and spaghetti sauce; pasta, macaroni and cheese, peanut butter, jelly, cereal, and rice; a quart of milk, pound of margarine, dozen eggs, loaf of bread, and frozen meat. All of which provides enough for 2-3 days of meals. The Jane Jones Food Pantry at Main Street United Methodist Church began monthly food distribution in January 2009 to offer relief for the chronic hunger which exists in Halifax County, VA. After researching food assistance programs available in the community, they found The Good Samaritan, a local emergency assistance program, served people every 4 months. Several smaller food pantries located farther out in the county had limited resources and were unable to provide food assistance on a regular basis. Because of the severe need it was decided to establish a monthly distribution Food Pantry to provide hunger relief for the residents of Halifax County, VA.
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Dallas Metro News - #DallasMetroNews Amid a turbulent political climate and looming potential of a government shutdown, the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB) is bolstering its operations, despite a recent congressional stopgap funding bill ensuring government functionality until mid-November. The peril of a shutdown threatens to hinder crucial nutritional aid programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), alongside delaying salaries for numerous federal employees. With nearly 500 dedicated feeding partners, NTFB is organizing a strong collaborative initiative to prepare for any governmental halt, aiming to mitigate the increased demand for charitable food assistance and disruptions to federal nutrition programs. Government Relations Officer, Clarissa Clarke, emphasized the varying impact of a shutdown based on its duration, underscoring the necessity for preemptive measures and robust community networks in this scenario. https://lnkd.in/ddBSMtSs #Dallas #DallasNews #Texas #TexasNews
North Texas Food Bank braces for government shutdown: A beacon of hope amid fiscal uncertainty - Dallas Metro News
dallasmetro.news
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Did you know that in District 17 CT Foodshare provides nearly 182,000 meals and an additional 25,000 through their mobile food pantry? It’s hard to believe that our need could be that great but food insecurity doesn’t discriminate across party lines, age, race, or zip code. Yesterday, I held a bipartisan press conference with Connecticut Foodshare, Senator Henri Martin, and our senate and house colleagues to discuss Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” report. The news isn’t good. 😳468,150 people in Connecticut are food insecure, a 23% increase or around 90,000 additional people 😫1 in 8 Connecticut residents are food insecure, compared to 1 in 10 last year 🚨1 in 6 children in Connecticut are food insecure ❗️1 in 4 Black persons in Connecticut are food insecure ❗️1 in 4 Hispanic persons in Connecticut are food insecure 📣1 in 11 White non-Hispanic persons in Connecticut are food insecure It’s not great news, especially since the bill that Senator Martin and I proposed did not even get a hearing this year. HB5011 would have provided $10 million to Connecticut Foodshare for the CT-NAP program and 15% of that would have gone to farmers in Connecticut for the food they grow. We will absolutely return to this issue in January. Out neighboring states can’t provide millions while we do exponentially less. To learn more, see the news article here: https://lnkd.in/e4ZWXm_w Or watch the press conference below: https://bit.ly/44HXGDV
Food insecurity increases 23% in Connecticut, new study shows: 'That's a crisis'
ctinsider.com
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