Food Insecurity

Nonnprofits have seen a surge in the amount of people needing their food pantry services. This is especially tough in the summer months.

Here's important background info and research to bolster news coverage of potential reductions in federal spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

One local food pantry is facing two critical issues: Hurricane season approaches and the number of people in need of food assistance is rising.

A new online platform launched by the Harry Chapin Food Bank helps area residents locate food pantries, distribution sites

One in 12 seniors in Southwest Florida experiences food insecurity. That number is a result of many factors that include inflation, expensive housing in the region, and aging-related medical expenses. Harry Chapin Food Bank’s Care and Share senior feeding program seeks to alleviate these economic pressures by giving seniors monthly free meal kits.

The need for food assistance remained vital for many in Southwest Florida in 2024 as evidenced by a more than 10 percent increase in food distribution — more than 4 million pounds — reported by the Harry Chapin Food Bank.Additionally, Chapin reported large upticks in several children-focused food distribution programs.Chapin's distribution of 39.5 million pounds of food through its Feeding Network in 2024 equates to an additional 3 million meals served to neighbors across Southwest Florida.

Funding will support states, territories, and Tribes in purchasing and distributing wholesome, locally produced food for food banks, schools, and child care facilities

The newest food benefits program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture will officially launch in the summer of 2024. The deadline for states to sign up was Jan. 1.

One grocery store in a community of roughly 25,000 people. This community has a poverty rate of 32%. The majority of the population is either Black or Latino. The median household income is roughly $33,000 a year, just $7,000 above Florida’s federal poverty line.About 50 miles away in the same county, an affluent city bursts with life and luxury. The City of Naples has an average household income of $118,141 with a poverty rate of 8%.Social determinants of health are a major reason why people born in one part of Collier County are expected to live 15 years longer than those in other parts of the county, according to life expectancy estimates from the U.S. Census Tract and the National Center for Health Statistics.

In the low-income neighborhood of Pine Manor, a community garden makes a big difference in helping residents access resources at a time when prices are high and supply chains are stretched.