Many in our nation are unaware of the gravity of hunger faced by neighbors, family, and friends. In order to understand why we serve our meals, I have read studies and statistics on the status of hunger in our nation.
I decided to share what I have learned about the status of food insecurity in our country because I believe that it is an important conversation for anyone reading to become a part of, and an issue that anyone can help to solve.
The USDA published research from 2020 (linked here) detailing the food insecurity statistics from rural communities across the United States. The findings are shocking. Below is a graph depicting food secure vs food insecure households in 2020:
The graph depicts that 10.5% of American households experienced food insecurity in some form within the year 2020. Although 10% sounds small, it actually equates to 13.8 million households, and a staggering 38.3 million individuals. This is a shocking amount of people, mostly consisting of children, who are lacking food in some way.
Furthermore, it was found that 1 in 6 children face hunger in the United States. Many families rely on school breakfast and lunch for meals to save on groceries which continue to rise everyday. However, this creates a gap in the summer when school is no longer in session, and kids lose their daily access to healthy food. We use our resources to serve healthy, fresh meals so that children can have a way to access food in the summertime when they can no longer rely on school meals.
The map below is from the same USDA study done to show where the prevalence of food insecurity is highest.
Hunger is a problem that not many people discuss for a number of reasons. One would be that they aren’t aware of the weight of the situation because it doesn’t affect them. However, now that food prices are rising, food insecurity is becoming a problem for many more families. Another reason why this is a hidden problem is because it is hard to speak up when you are the one struggling. It is hard to ask for help and reach out because it feels like an inconvenience, a burden, or a shame to need outside help. Especially when it comes to putting food on the table. As a result, hunger goes unnoticed and gets covered up.
I have learned from these things why we do what we do at the YMCA. It is important to create a resource that anyone can use, no matter what. Easily accessible healthy and free meals appeal to everyone, and benefit everyone, too. Whether a family is just stopping by to get lunch on their way home, or if they are coming to get a meal simply because it is their only option, no questions are asked, and children are fed.
To read the study for yourself, here is the full link: