New Feeding America report says more people than ever deal with food insecurity

A new report just released this morning from Feeding America says food insecurity has reached a new high.

It’s called “The Map the Meal Gap” Report.

The local numbers released are for the 11 counties in the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank service area.

The report is an analysis of the state of food and security for 2022.

It says one in eight people are struggling with food insecurity, that’s a 25% increase from the year before.

As for children, 1 in 6 are food insecure, a 33% increase.

It also shows a significant increase in need across all demographics

Godfrey Bethea is the vice president of Equity, People and Culture at the food bank.

He said the highest meal gap in our area is with the black community, who are facing economic hardships and societal issues, such as lack of access to grocery stores.

“The most profound statistic is in our African-American communities,” Bethea said. “One and three is experiencing food insecurity. That’s up from one in four in the previous report.”

Feeding America has an interactive map on its website that breaks down all the numbers.

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