Who Needs Help
One in eleven people in our area go hungry even though there is plenty of food to feed everyone. Hunger does not mean missing or skipping a meal here and there. Hunger is the empty gnawing feeling inside of someone who has missed meals for days or had food that was not nutritious enough to help a body remain healthy. There are several circumstances that can cause hunger such as: parents eating less so their children can eat enough, seniors skipping meals to be able to pay for their medications, kids coming home to an empty fridge, and working adults who, to get enough food, can only afford inexpensive foods that do not nourish them and their families.
Who Is Hungry:
10% of those we help are seniors 60 years and above. While the economy continues to improve since the Great Recession, many Americans are still struggling to make ends meet, and hunger continues to be a problem in our area. It’s not always who you think: it could be your neighbor, your friend, a relative. Many people live paycheck to paycheck, and if their car breaks down, someone gets ill or someone loses a job, people are faced to make difficult choices. Do I pay the rent or buy food? What bill can I skip this month so I can buy food? Today, more than half a million people in Minnesota and Western Wisconsin face hunger, partly due to rising housing costs, health insurance, and inadequate trained workers.
Children, including more than one-third of K–12 kids in Minnesota, rely on free or reduced-price lunches or free breakfasts at school. Many did not have breakfast this morning or dinner last night. Being hungry makes it tough to concentrate at school and stay focused on daily life..
Working adults who are in lower-wage jobs may face tough choices – pay the rent or buy food? They feel the constant stress and anxiety of not knowing how they’ll feed themselves or their families.
Seniors living on fixed incomes are the most surprising and the fastest-growing population who are visiting food shelves. But they hesitate to ask for help, and are the ‘hidden hungry’ in our neighborhoods.
What Does Hunger Cost:
$1.6 billion/year = The amount of money that the effect of hunger costs the state of Minnesota every year in healthcare, hospitalization, medication, education and other costs, including lost productivity at work and in school.
Source: University of Minnesota Food Industry Center, Cost and Benefit of Hunger Study, 2010
1 in 11 = The number of households in Minnesota affected by hunger. Hunger is an urban, suburban and rural problem. There is no corner of the state where hunger does not exist. The Feeding America Missing Meals Map illustrates the problem at a state and county level.
89 million meals = the equivalent number of meals distributed by Local Harvest and its state partners in 2018, to nearly 1,000 food shelves, pantries and other partner programs. This is enough to feed a mid-sized city of 73,000 people, three meals a day, for a year.
- More than 33% are under age 18.
- 10% are seniors age 60 and up.
692,000 miles = The number of miles traveled by our fleet of trucks in 2018. That’s equivalent to 27 times around the earth! More than 1,150 individuals generously contribute dollars and other resources to Local Harvest each year.
The USDA definition of food insecurity:
Multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake. More than 98% of households with very low food security are worried food would run out before they got money to buy more, could not afford a balanced meal, or regularly skipped a meal.
Local Foods: Hope in the Heartland 