Our Growing Need
In 2020, food insecurity is projected to increase by the highest percentage in parts of the South and Southwest. For example, in Mississippi, one in three people could go hungry this year.
20%
18-19%
16-17%
14-15%
<14%
How Communities Are Coping
- Arkansas is the number one producer of rice in the U.S., accounting for nearly half of the country’s crop.
- Wisconsin produces 3 billion pounds of cheese per year.
- Iowa leads in corn production.
- Food Lifeline in Seattle, Washington, was the first food bank in the country to respond to the unique demands of COVID-19.
- At the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest North Carolina, more than 50 tons of food leave the warehouse daily, an increase of more than 10 tons per day since February.
- In the early days of the pandemic, casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada, were used as food distribution centers. Some served more than 1 million people a month.
- In Montgomery County, Maryland, Manna Food Center provides locally grown produce to those in need.
- In New York City, the Barrio Fridge sits outside a bodega. The community keeps it stocked with food that is free to any who need it. Other cities have joined in, with fridges dotting needy neighborhoods.
In June, Houston Food Bank volunteers packed more than 5,000 vehicles per day with fresh and packaged food. Lines to the pantry snaked through the parking lot of a local high school.’
Dairy farms, such as this one owned by the Hansen family, provide excess milk and other products to local food banks. In April, farms donated more than 1 million meals to those in need.
Even working adults can struggle to afford adequate food. Feeding Tampa Bay provides approximately 10 million meals per month to people in 10 local counties.
Food banks do more than provide canned goods — they also distribute produce and other fresh food donated by grocery stores and farms.
Social distancing rules decreased volunteer capacity from more than 1,000 to 150 per shift at the Houston Food Bank during the pandemic. Excess food was stored at partner warehouses and even at a local airline cargo facility.
A farmworker delivers feed to the cows at Hansen Dairy Farms in June. Despite the fact that the U.S. has over 900 million acres of farmland, more than 37 million of its people are food insecure.
In New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward, volunteers set up for a long, hot day of distributing food. Many of the community’s residents are still struggling from the trauma of Hurricane Katrina.
Volunteers at the Stanton Community Center in Annapolis provide kids and teens with bagged lunches and cold drinks to replace meals they’d normally get at school.
Last Spring, the Sikh community in Houston conducted a months-long food drive for the Houston Food Bank. For Sikhs, sharing their resources is an essential part of their religion. They typically serve free meals in their places of worship, called gurdwaras. The Sikhs’ food distribution has been an integral part of the effort to serve the needs of the community during the pandemic.
A volunteer packs a bag lunch for the Maryland Food Bank’s grab-and-go program for students. In June, the food bank delivered more than 66,500 of these meals to kids at 20 sites across the state.
How to Help
Volunteer
More than half of all food programs rely entirely on volunteers. To find an opportunity near you, go to feedingamerica.org/foodbank.
Call
Check with your local food bank to see what items it needs most. Applesauce, nuts and pasta are often in high demand.
Donate
In partnership with Feeding America, Good Housekeeping and Hearst Magazines are committed to putting an end to hunger. To help food banks feed families in need, please donate at feedingamerica.org/hearst.
