World Food Day

October 16, 2021

Today is World Food Day and STARZ24 would like to share some information on the effects of COVID-19 and food insecurity. Every single day millions of children and families face hunger and the pandemic exacerbated this challenge due to a lack of access to sufficient food because of limited financial resources.

Here are some facts about food insecurity in America according to Feeding America:

Due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic, more than 42 million people may experience food insecurity, including a potential 13 million children.
The pandemic has most impacted families that were already facing hunger or one paycheck away from facing hunger.
According to the USDA’s latest Household Food Insecurity in the United States report, more than 38 million people in the United States experienced hunger in 2020.
Households with children are more likely to experience food insecurity. Before the coronavirus pandemic, more than 12 million children live in food-insecure households.
Every community in the country is home to families who face hunger, including rural and suburban communities.
Many households that experience food insecurity do not qualify for federal nutrition programs and visit their local food banks and other food programs for extra support.
Hunger in African American, Latino, and Native American communities is higher because of systemic racial injustice. To achieve a hunger-free America, we must address the root causes of hunger and structural and systemic inequities.