Food insecurity is a critical issue for families—especially over the holidays. In fact, 38 million people face hunger in the U.S., including more than 12 million children. And at least one in four people in the world are moderately or severely food insecure. Food insecurity is a lack of consistent access to enough food for every household to live an active, healthy life. It can be a temporary situation or last a long time.
The causes of food insecurity
According to our partner Feeding America, many people in America struggle to meet their basic needs, which increases their risk of food insecurity. The causes of food insecurity are complex but usually are due to poverty, unemployment, low income, lack of affordable housing, chronic health conditions, lack of access to healthcare, or racial discrimination.
In many cases, food-insecure families make tradeoffs in order to access food. According to Feeding America, many sell or pawn personal property in order to stretch their food budget and resort to purchasing inexpensive, unhealthy foods with less nutrition. It comes as no surprise then that there is a proven link between food insecurity and chronic illness.
The effects of poverty
The effect can be devastating. Without proper food access, serious health complications are more likely to occur, especially when people facing hunger are forced to choose between spending money on food, medicine, or medical care. A lack of food access can damage a child’s learning and growth. It can also force families to choose between paying for food or paying for heat, electricity, rent, and transportation.
Advancing Life Foundation’s pledge to help
Over the last year, the foundation has worked with partners like Feeding America and the Global Food Network to help feed families over 1,245,000 meals in 2021. By collaborating with NGOs to provide solutions to food insecurity, we are helping those in need gain greater access to meals or gardens to improve access to food and better quality nutrition.
If you would like to help families suffering from food insecurity, please consider becoming an ongoing monthly donor and a member of the Donor Alliance. Every dollar you give will be matched by ASEA, making your donation have double the impact.