For area kids, hunger is a growing problem

Child Food Insecurity Rates in Northeast NC at Five Year High According to Map the Meal Gap 2015

According to the annual Map the Meal Gap study released today, food insecurity in northeast North Carolina remains stagnant at 19.5% -60,500 people- for the overall population. Food insecurity rates rose to a 5 year high of 26.6% for area children under 18 years old. 17,710 or more than 1 in 4 kids in northeast North Carolina know hunger as a chronic condition they face throughout the year.

Food insecurity is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s measure of lack of access at times to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members.

“We are dedicated to working to address hunger in northeast North Carolina,” said Liz Reasoner, Executive Director at Food Bank of the Albemarle. “We use the findings from Map the Meal Gap 2015 to better quantify the reality of hunger that we see on a day to day basis. This information is critical to targeting implantation of our programs and services across the region.“  

The state of North Carolina's food insecurity rate of 18.3% is slightly higher than the national average of 15.8%. 

Other local key findings:

·          The counties in northeast NC with the highest rates of food insecurity were Hertford County (24.1%), Bertie County (23.7%) and Northampton County (23.4%)

·          The counties in northeast NC with the highest rates of child food insecurity were Chowan County (31.8%), Northampton County (30.3%) and Tyrrell County (29.8%)

·          25% of food insecure children come from households that are NOT income-eligible for federal nutrition assistance programs.

Map the Meal Gap 2015 is based on an analysis of statistics collected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture , U.S. Census Bureau, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2013, the most recent year for which data is available.The study, commissioned by Feeding America, is a detailed analysis of the nation’s food insecurity. An interactive map is available that allows viewers to explore the issue of hunger in northeast NC and across the country. The map can be found at map.feedingamerica.org .

“ Map the Meal Gap 2015 provides unique insight into the prevalence of food insecurity in each county and congressional district in our nation,” said Bob Aiken, CEO of Feeding America. “It will help policy makers and our elected officials understand the challenges they face in addressing hunger in the communities they serve.”

The study is supported by the Founding Sponsor Howard G. Buffett Foundation as well as the ConAgra Foods Foundation and Nielsen . The food price data and analysis was provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global provider of information and insights. The lead researcher is Dr. Craig Gundersen, professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, executive director of the National Soybean Research Laboratory and member of Feeding America’s Technical Advisory Group.

County and congressional district food-insecurity details and the full report are available at map.feedingamerica.org .

Hunger over the weekend

Children who are in food insecure households will most likely suffer from hunger over the summer when they no longer have access to free or reduced breakfast and lunch at school for the 2.5 months they are out of school (read more about child hunger here). What is not commonly thought about or addressed is that children who are in food insecure households often deal with hunger over the weekend and over school vacations.
The Food Bank of the Albemarle supports over 130 hunger relief partners who work towards eradicating hunger in our region of northeast North Carolina. Some of these partners are tackling the issue of weekend hunger, too. Ahoskie Food Pantry, located in Ahoskie, NC, is working to provide backpacks with food to children who are at risk for weekend hunger. The backpacks are distributed discreetly on Fridays to 47 children in two schools. The pantry started with just 7 kids, but with additional support from the community is now serving 47 children every weekend. Each backpack has 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 single servings of milk and juice, and 2 snacks to sustain children through the weekend. The children have reported they are able to concentrate better upon returning to school on Monday - which is enough anecdotal proof to the program's administrator, Carolyn, that the program model is a success!
In other parts of northeast North Carolina other agencies are also working to ensure children are adequately fed over the weekend. The Edenton Chowan Food Pantry in Edenton, NC has gotten its weekend hunger program off the ground this school year. Children are discreetly selected, based upon their family's need, to participate in the program. The Edenton Chowan Food Pantry weekend hunger program started the fall 2012 school semester. Originally the pantry was providing for 50 children in grades 1-4, but by the spring 2013 semester they were able to expand to 100 kids per weekend. This is only addressing 20% of the need in this school system, however, and efforts to reach all children are being made.
Eagle's Wings - a pantry in Washington, NC - provided 1,702 backpacks in collaboration with area churches to children in 2 school systems in Beaufort County.
The benefits to programs like these compound over the years as children grow. It is true that they are receiving food to sustain them over weekends and holiday vacations, but the real benefit is that they can perform at school to their highest potential and will not fall behind. Maybe it should be said that No Child Left Behind should start with full bellies.
Childhood hunger is a serious problem. In northeast North Carolina nearly 1 in 4 children are considered food insecure. Many schools have populations where 80% or more of children qualify for free and reduced lunch. Children who do not get a balanced and complete diet do not perform at the same level as children who are in food secure households. When children in food insecure households get sick or injured, it takes their bodies longer to recuperate. Overall, it leads to unprepared work forces which doesn't benefit anyone.
To read more about weekend hunger, click here.