Latest data show 16,330 individuals are ‘food insecure -each person would need nearly $16 per week to no longer be hungry
Nearly $16 a person per week.
On average, that’s what’s keeping 16,330 people in Roanoke from no longer being hungry.
An annual study released this week finds that 16.9 percent of the city population is what’s called “food insecure,” meaning they do not always know where they will find their next meal.
While down three-tenths of a percentage point year over year, hunger remains a stubborn problem in our region.
The findings are from Feeding America’s annual “Map the Meal Gap” study, which estimates the rate of food insecurity for both the general population and for children under 18.
The latest numbers from the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization also maps out weekly food-budget shortfall – the average amount of money food insecure people report needing to move to food security with an adequate diet.
People at risk of hunger in Roanoke fall short by an average of $15.88 a week based on an average meal cost of $2.75, or almost six meals a week, according to the study.
Salem-based Feeding America Southwest Virginia, serving 26 counties and nine cities in the region, is part of the Feeding America network. Overall, more than one in eight people in southwest Virginia, or 151,000 individuals, struggle to put food on their table.
“Despite the generosity and efforts of so many people, corporations and organizations in the Roanoke Valley the latest numbers show that too many people are at risk of hunger right here at home,” said Pamela Irvine, president and CEO of Feeding America Southwest Virginia. “Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States, and it’s affecting a large population throughout our region.
“We are particularly concerned about children who are under-nourished,” Irvine continued. “Children who do not receive adequate nutrition may experience behavioral problems, have difficulty concentrating in school, and have an increased risk of medical problems. Lack of adequate nutrition in children, for even a brief period of time, may also cause permanent physical and developmental impairments.”
“Map the Meal Gap 2014” also shows the average meal cost in the city below the state average of $2.86.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 50 million people nationwide are food insecure.
This is the fourth year that Feeding America has conducted the “Map the Meal Gap” study. The findings of “Map the Meal Gap” are based on statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; food price data and analysis were provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global information and measurement company providing insights into what consumers watch and buy. The study was supported by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Nielsen and The ConAgra Foods Foundation.
For detailed data and maps, please visit www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap.
