While the holidays are happy, busy times filled with family and food for many individuals, they may also be filled with anxiety and stress for individuals afflicted with food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. This is a real and everyday problem for many Americans and St. Louisans. According to Feeding America, 1 in 8 Americans struggle with hunger and 25% of residents in St. Louis City experienced food insecurity in the year of 2016.
There are several assistance programs and food pantries that try to relieve the stress that food insecurity puts on the individuals, but typically the need for assistance exceeds the abilities of the program or pantry. However, there are a couple ways you can help. The first way is to simply donate non-perishable food items to your area food pantry. This way you are helping give area families food for the month. The second way is to volunteer at a soup kitchen. The St. Louis Area Foodbank is an excellent resource to use if you are interested in volunteering. So whether you have time to volunteer or are able to donate some food items, every little bit helps those in need. Don't let individuals go hungry!
Other organizations working to alleviate hunger:
Reference:
Gundersen, C., A. Dewey, A. Crumbaugh, M. Kato & E. Engelhard. Map the Meal Gap 2018: A Report on County and Congressional District Food Insecurity and County Food Cost in the United States in 2016. Feeding America, 2018.
There are several assistance programs and food pantries that try to relieve the stress that food insecurity puts on the individuals, but typically the need for assistance exceeds the abilities of the program or pantry. However, there are a couple ways you can help. The first way is to simply donate non-perishable food items to your area food pantry. This way you are helping give area families food for the month. The second way is to volunteer at a soup kitchen. The St. Louis Area Foodbank is an excellent resource to use if you are interested in volunteering. So whether you have time to volunteer or are able to donate some food items, every little bit helps those in need. Don't let individuals go hungry!
Other organizations working to alleviate hunger:
- Food Outreach
- St. Patrick's Center
- St. Anthony Food Pantry
- St. Louis Dream Center
- The Salvation Army
- Operation Food Search
- Urban Harvest STL
- Gateway Greening
- St. Louis Metro Market
- St. Louis Area Foodbank
Reference:
Gundersen, C., A. Dewey, A. Crumbaugh, M. Kato & E. Engelhard. Map the Meal Gap 2018: A Report on County and Congressional District Food Insecurity and County Food Cost in the United States in 2016. Feeding America, 2018.
