Building Community - Ending Food Insecurity
By Lindsay K. Smith
Did you know that there is food insecurity in every county and congressional district in the entire country? According to the USDA’s 2016 report on food insecurity, North Carolina has the 8th highest rate of insecurity in the entire nation[1]. In North Carolina, over one million households do not have enough to eat. Wake County residents make up nearly 10% of food insecure households in North Carolina[2].
So what is food insecurity? In 2006, the USDA sought to better explain it by introducing new language to distinguish the difference between hunger and food insecurity. The USDA now defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food”[3]. This is different from hunger, which is “an individual-level physiological condition that may be a result of food insecurity”3.
Often, when we think of food insecurity, we often think of the homeless. While the homeless population does constitute a portion of those who do not have enough to eat, many would be surprised to learn that nearly 42% of those defined as food insecure earn more than 200% above the poverty level. This means food insecurity can affect those who have homes as well as those who do not. It means nearly have of the people who need additional food do not qualify for federal nutrition assistance.
A Place at the Table seeks to help lessen those statistics. Our mission is to provide community and healthy food for all regardless of means. When you come into A Place at the Table anyone can come in, no questions asked and be served a meal with dignity. We know we cannot solve all of the problems in our community but we seek to make a difference one meal at a time. So, join our community today by stopping by for a meal. Let’s come together and strive to make it possible for everyone in our community to have access to a healthy, affordable, and dignified dining experience!
See you at the table!
[1] https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics/
[2] http://ncfoodbanks.org/hunger-in-north-carolina/map-the-meal-gap/
[3] https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security.aspx