Food insecurity exists in every county and congressional district in the country. But not everyone struggling with hunger qualifies for federal nutrition assistance. Learn more about local food insecurity and the food banks in your community by exploring data from Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap project.
According to Feeding America's Health Implications of Food Insecurity Report, "A significant number of households served by the Feeding America network
have members living with a chronic disease like diabetes (33% of households) or hypertension (58% of households) and are regularly confronted with these challenges to managing their health." Read it here.
There are over 40 Million food insecure people in the United States. Read Feeding America's full Executive Summary of the Map the Meal Gap Report, here.
"Federal nutrition assistance programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), serve as the first line of defense against hunger. However, not everyone who is food insecure qualifies for these federal programs; nationally, nearly three in 10 (29%) individuals estimated to be food insecure and whose incomes are known live in households unlikely to qualify for most federal assistance." Click here to read all four Feeding America food insecurity briefs.
12.6% of Mercer County residents are food insecure. That is about 14,030 food insecure people. Our 30 member agencies feed over 4,000 of these people, each month.
"Food insecurity has the potential to be harmful to individuals of any age, but it can be especially devastating to children. The USDA estimates that more than 12 million children in the United States live in food-insecure households as of 2017."**
To the left is a map showcasing the child food insecurity rates in every county across the U.S. To view a larger version of the map, which includes Mercer County's specific numbers, please click on the map to enlarge.
To read the full report on Child Food Insecurity, from Feeding America, please click here.
**Source: Feeding America, Map the Meal Gap 2019, Report on Child Food Insecurity.