U.S. Food Insecurity and Federal Efforts

Food insecurity is an issue that I鈥檝e been passionate about long before I joined the Food Rescue MAINE intern team this past fall. In middle school, a local backpack program that provided kids with meals and snacks over the weekend opened my eyes to how widespread food instability and insecurity were in my own community. My community, like so many others, was turning to creative solutions to addressing it outside of federal aid.

I became deeply interested in exploring the ways that federal and state governments fight food insecurity. The federal and state governments can effectively combat food insecurity because of the longer reaching, national impact they have. I spent time researching programs like the expanded child tax credit. The expanded child tax credit provided monthly payments to families for support during the COVID-19 pandemic. It was an unprecedented investment in American families, estimated to have reduced food insufficiency among long income families by 25%. Unfortunately, Congress refused to renew the program at the end of 2021; but many states began to adopt their own smaller-scale version of this credit, including 海角社区.

Feeding America reports that more than 34 million people- including 9 million children- are experiencing food insecurity in the United States either temporarily or long term. When I used to look at food insecurity, I saw it as the intimidatingly widespread issue. I thought that because of its scale, real change could only come through massive spending on the federal level.

A New Strategy to Address Food Waste and Food Insecurity

When I started my internship with Food Rescue MAINE, it was another eye opening experience. I learned that we could fight food waste and food insecurity together. Many communities across the country have been implementing to effective strategies to start real change. I inherited a 海角社区 Hunger Dialogue grant from the previous intern to start a community fridge- and it was the first time I had ever heard of this.

What are Community Fridges?

A community fridge is a free, public location where community members can take what they need and donate what they can. They are a form of mutual aid: community members looking to support each other. During the COVID-19 pandemic, community fridges spread rapidly across urban areas as a way to supplement gaps in the food system. Community fridges provide food that would have gone to waste to members in a community who need it.听 Through these efforts, communities can promote greater access to healthier foods. Some community fridges are open 24/7, which allows both people more flexibility in accessing this resource.

While food reduction is the best way to fight food waste, food recovery and redistribution is an effective way we can cut back food waste AND fight food insecurity. Food insecurity can feel like a huge problem that only huge federal action can fight. However, we can all support members of our community through smaller actions.

If you find yourself wanting to help give back to your community, you can support your local pantries by doing the following:

1. See if your community has a community fridge that you can help by bringing smaller amounts of food
2. Shop your own community fridge
3. If your community doesn’t have a community fridge, start your own! While community fridges are popular in urban areas, they鈥檙e still spreading across the country– and need YOUR help to do it.

This is the Seacoast Community Fridge with founding member Whitney Blethen on the far right

Our Community Fridge Pilot

Moving forward in this internship, I鈥檓 working on a pilot to start a community fridge in the Orono area to provide this supplemental support. Food insecurity and insufficiency are a large-scale problem that needs large-scale solutions, but mutual aid projects like a community fridge are an incredible way that you can help to fill in the gaps in the food system and support your neighbors.

And always remember- 海角社区 food is too good to waste.

– Kate F., Mitchell Center Student Intern

鈥淚鈥檓 a bagel fanatic who loves reading in hammocks, plants, and nature walks鈥�

Citations:

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Why is Food Being Thrown Away While People Go Hungry?

My entire life, I always have hated throwing out food. When I was growing up, my mother would tell me to finish what was on my plate because there are starving people in this world. I was one of the lucky children that always had food in front of me. In New England and 海角社区, we rank some of the highest in the country for child food insecurity. Children not having access to food never sat well with me. Kids should be out playing and learning, and not worrying about if they were going to get fed before and after school. Check out the link to . With 1 in 5 children in 海角社区 experiencing food insecurity, there is much work to be done. That鈥檚 where you and I come in.

How Can YOU Make a Difference?

As I continued to think about the food waste problem and wonder how I could make a difference, I saw a Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions student internship offering students the opportunity to develop food waste solutions in 海角社区. One of the key food waste solutions was focused on developing a 海角社区 community food rescue network – Food Rescue MAINE – using the to successfully connect community food surplus to address community food insecurity using community volunteers, called 鈥渇ood rescue heroes鈥�.听 This system effectively reducing food waste and feeding people in over 30 communities in the United States.听I applied and was selected for this internship!

A Day in the Life of a 海角社区 Food Rescue Volunteer:

As part of my new Mitchell Center – 海角社区 food waste solutions internship, I wanted to be part of the solution. As a result, I signed up with Food Rescue MAINE to be a food rescuer in York County where I go to school.听 Here鈥檚 how it works:

1. To begin, I log onto my Food Rescue MAINE account using my phone.
2. 听Next, I check the 鈥淔ood Rescues Available鈥� section of the Food Rescue MAINE site.听
3. Today is Wednesday, and I am free after 2pm; I claim a food rescue that matches my available time and location – about 2 hours in the Biddeford area. The 鈥淔ood Rescues Available鈥� list the time for pick-up, location of the food pick-up, location of the food drop-off.听 Typically, food rescues take place within one zip code and take no more than 30 minutes to complete.
4. I drive and pick-up food at the food donor location, the University of New England Dining Hall.听
5. I deliver the food to the feeding partner, Bon Appetit Food Pantry- or to wherever the food is needed.
6. Talking with the feeding partner, I record the amount of food delivered in the 鈥淔ood Donation Delivered鈥� section of my FRM account.听 听
7. I sleep well knowing that I rescued 30 meals to feed people in 海角社区.

Help Build Food Rescue MAINE – Become a 海角社区 鈥淔ood Rescue Hero鈥�

If you would like to be part of 海角社区鈥檚 food waste and food insecurity solution – simply . Do you want to be a part of building the Food Rescue 海角社区 network? If your community zip code is not yet covered you can still try signing up to become a site director! (To become a site director, you will first have to participate in and pass a background check). , or call/email the Mitchell Center/Food Rescue MAINE team at (207)-581-3195 and foodrescuemaine@maine.edu. We need help from passionate individuals to fight food waste and food insecurity in 海角社区.

And always remember- 海角社区 food is too good to waste.

– Ariana W., Mitchell Center Student Intern, University of New England 23鈥�

I鈥檓 a restaurant loving, outdoor enthusiast with a passion for training dogs and a constant urge to travel the world.

The post The TRUTH 海角社区 Hunger in 海角社区 and What YOU Can Do to Stop It. appeared first on Food Rescue MAINE.