Report reveals food insecurity rate in Monroe County below national average

About 21,400 people, or 15.9 percent of Monroe County residents, face food insecurity, according to a study released Monday by Feeding America.

Feeding America is a national nonprofit organization providing funding to food banks across the country, including Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington.

Statewide, 16.2 percent, or one million people, are food insecure. Nationwide, the numbers increase to 19.7 percent, more than 48 million people.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food insecurity refers to the occasional lack of access to enough food for a healthy life for all household members. Households suffering from food insecurity are not necessarily food insecure all the time. It may also refer to a household’s need to make trade-offs between basic needs, such as medical bills or housing, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

In Monroe County, the report shows food insecurity is highest among children. The report, which was funded by the ConAgra Foods Foundation, shows that 4,280 of Monroe County’s children do not receive enough to eat, accounting for nearly 20 percent of the county’s children.  

“As summer begins and Hoosier kids do not have access to school meals, we must take this information as a call to action,” said Emily Weikert Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, in a press release. “It is unacceptable for nearly a quarter of all children to be at risk of hunger in Indiana.”

The study is included in Feeding America’s Map the Gap project, which was launched in 2011 to determine dietary needs on a county level. The current map reflects data from 2009 and 2010 but will be updated annually.

National food insecurity data collected by Feeding America revealed that about 58 percent of those struggling with hunger have incomes above the federal poverty level. Of the food insecure children across the state, the study revealed that about 30 percent might not be eligible for federal nutrition programs, including free or reduced-price school lunch programs.

According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, food insecurity is particularly devastating for children because of their increased vulnerability and the potential for long-term consequences.

Inadequate nutrition can permanently alter a child’s brain architecture and stunt their intellectual capacity, affecting the child’s learning, social interaction and productivity.
About 22.7 percent, or an estimated 358,120 children, in Indiana might not know from where their next meal will come, according to the press release. Individual county percentages across Indiana ranged from 26.9 percent in Miami and Starke Counties to 14.5 percent in Hamilton County.

“Families at risk can call 211 to be connected to emergency food services, including locations for kids’ meals through the summer food service program,” Weikert Bryant said. “There is no reason any child should be faced with the grim option of going without meals.”

— Mark Keierleber