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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to the USDA’s annual Household Food Insecurity in the United States report, “47 million people [including 1 in 5 children] in the United States are food insecure.” Hunger is not linear and can impact anyone at any time. According to Feeding America, hunger affects children, seniors and people of color at higher rates. Food insecurity is found right outside all our doors, impacting every single U.S. County. Read on to learn more about food insecurity and ways you can help.

What is Food Insecurity?

Food insecurity is defined as the “limited or uncertain availability of adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” To take it a step further nutrition insecurity is a new term that builds upon food insecurity with the additional consideration of nutrition quality, variety and affordability of foods.

What Can Food or Nutrition Insecurity Look Like?

There are many misconceptions around food insecurity. People are impacted by food and nutrition insecurity for many different reasons, both long and short term. Hunger may stem from a prioritization of medical bills, an unexpected lay off from a job, having a baby, or limited access to a grocery store or market.

5 Ways You Can Help

It will take everyone doing their part to eradicate the food insecurity crisis in the U.S. There are many ways to help fight for food justice, and we can positively impact food security every day. Here are a few ways to help:

1. Educate yourself

Start by educating yourself on hunger in your area and the systems in place to help fight hunger. The Feeding America website is a great resource to start. Take this educational opportunity further by learning about eating healthy on a budget.

2. Raise awareness

Raising awareness about food and nutrition security can start with simple actions and grow into bigger efforts. Start small by participating in local events or volunteering in outreach campaigns in your area. This could also expand towards sharing information on social media to help people learn about these issues. To go further, you could write letters to your local representatives or members of Congress, asking them to expand federal programs like the National School Lunch Program; the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC); or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Take it a step further by organizing an educational event. This could be as simple as an educational session at an employee meeting.

3. Volunteer time

Volunteering is such a valuable way to give back to the community. Find local food banks or food pantries and ask how to get involved. Food banks and pantries are always looking for help with operations, packaging, organizing and/or distribution. Bring a friend or family member with you to help.

4. Donate or fundraise

Monetary donations both locally and to programs like Feeding America are a great place to start. Go a step further by giving food items to local food banks or pantries. Check with the local food banks to see what items they need most and make sure food donated is not expired.

 5. Help a neighbor

Start the conversation with neighbors. Talking about it can remove the stigma for use of these programs for short- or long-term reasons. If a neighbor expresses to you some signs of food or nutrition insecurity, ask how you can help them. Share any learned tips on eating healthy on a budget like buying in bulk or shopping seasonal produce. Also refer neighbors to resources they qualify for, if appropriate. Everybody has the tools to help as little or as much as they can. Any amount of contribution to alleviating food or nutrition insecurity helps. Do your part to feed your neighborhood and be a food security superhero![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_text_separator title="Featured Products" border_width="2"][vc_row_inner equal_height="yes" content_placement="middle" gap="35"][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179618" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731105053074{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/shiloh-farms-organic-pearled-couscous"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179617" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731105070846{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/goodles-mac-cheese-down-the-hatch"][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_single_image image="179616" img_size="full" alignment="center" onclick="custom_link" img_link_target="_blank" css=".vc_custom_1731105098008{padding-right: 7% !important;padding-left: 7% !important;}" link="https://www.vitacost.com/else-kids-nutritional-shake-plant-protein-powder-2-year"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row]