Your Neighbors Could Be Hungry

Hunger is everywhere.  Every county in the United States without exception has someone going hungry.

Each year, Feeding America, the nation’s premier hunger resource, issues their study on food insecurity. Map the Meal Gap provides estimates of local food insecurity and food costs to help people, government officials, and local agencies understand who is hungry and where.

The information is eye opening. According to the map, 19.4% of Mississippi’s residents are food insecure, with Arkansas right behind at 19.3%.Breaking down each state by its counties, the map reveals that every county has reported food insecurity. 

Food insecurity is when a family cannot get enough food due to a lack of resources. There can be multiple factors affecting the family, which create a cycle that can be hard to break. Household income, higher expenses, health care costs, and barriers to opportunity all play a part in keeping households and communities from being food secure.

Over 13 million kids don’t have enough food to grow up healthy. That’s one in five. Communities of color, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities are often disproportionately impacted by food insecurity. People who are formerly incarcerated and single-parent households who struggle with employment are also more adversely affected. 

Texas has an overall food insecurity rate of 17.4%, but multiple counties within the state have rates of over 25%, or one in four. In Dimmit, 30.5% of its population are unsure of their next meal.

Even if agriculture is a main industry, many rural areas are considered “food deserts,” meaning there are not enough people to support competitive grocery stores that can stock affordable, healthy, and fresh food. Rural shoppers have to rely on more expensive processed food, or endure a long drive to a town with a supermarket that stocks fresh produce, milk, eggs, and other staples.

50 million Americans are in danger of going hungry and hunger is on the rise after years of decline. In 2023, 10 million more Americans needed food assistance than in 2019.

In a Hunger in America study, Feeding America discovered that 69% of Americans had to choose between food and utilities, while 66% had to choose between food and medical care, and 57% had to choose between food and housing

You can learn more about food insecurity in the U.S. at FeedingAmerica.org.