Map the Meal Gap 2019, the latest report by Feeding America® on food insecurity and the cost of food at both the county and congressional district level, was recently released. It is the only study that provides food insecurity data at the local level. The 2019 results reveal that food insecurity exists in every county, including FAKH’s service area. It also shows that children are more likely to be food insecure, with the overall percentage for children at 19%.
Key local findings:
- Overall food insecurity in FAKH service area ranges from a low of 11.4% of the population in Nelson County up to 21% in Fulton County.
- Number of food insecure individuals in FAKH service area is 14.8% of the total population or 1 in 7 people.
- Number of food insecure children in FAKH service area is 19% of the total population or 1 in 5 children.
- In the state of Kentucky, 14.9% are food insecure individuals, total for food insecure children is 18.4%.
The analysis also finds 56% of Kentucky residents who are food insecure are likely ineligible for federal nutrition assistance under current program requirements. This means that many households must rely even more on charitable food assistance, such as FAKH.
“What we’re finding are more and more working families who are just scraping to get by, living paycheck to paycheck,” said Jamie Sizemore, FAKH Executive Director. “When a household emergency happens, like a car breaking down or an unexpected medical situation, buying food for themselves or their family is the last thing on the list.”
The study’s findings underscore the extent of need that remains in communities in FAKH and across the U.S., despite national measures from the USDA that indicate overall improvement.
Map the Meal Gap 2019 uses data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and food price data and analysis provided by Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights. The study is supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Conagra Brands Foundation and Nielsen.
CLICK HERE to read the full press release about Map the Meal Gap 2019.
CLICK HERE to see FAKH’s Map the Meal Gap 2019 county data.
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