Understanding Food Insecurity Situation in Bartholomew County. November 28, 2012

Transcription

1 Understanding Food Insecurity Situation in Bartholomew County November 28, 2012

2 Food Insecurity Background Food security is defined as access to adequate nutrition at all time and is not equal to hunger. Food security defined by USDA Access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life. Food security includes at a minimum: (1) the ready availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods, and (2) an assured ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways (e.g., without resorting to emergency food supplies, scavenging, stealing, or other coping strategies). Food insecurity hunger 3

3 Food Insecurity Background National wide 29% of food insecure households live above 185% of the poverty level. Data Source: FeedingAmerica.org Food insecurity poverty 4

4 Background Food Insecurity in Bartholomew County 41% of food insecure households in Bartholomew County live above 185% of the poverty level. Charitable response is their last resort. Per Map the Meal Gap analysis by Feeding America, in Bartholomew County 9,860 people (13% of the population) are food insecure. There is an annual food budget shortfall of $3,818,700. 1,697,200 meals need to be provided to those population per year, assuming an average cost of a meal of $2.25*. 5

5 Two Big Questions Objectives and Approach Aggregate level: Is there enough food in the network for people in need? Tactical level: How can we make the food assistance solution better? 6

6 Approach Objectives and Approach Analysis and recommendations are based upon first hand data collected. Visit at food bank In-person interviews with 10 local community partners as well as their clients Completed questionnaires from 102 families in need KJ analysis Brainstormed and prioritized ideas 9

7 Approach Voice of Community Partners Objectives and Approach Voice of Community Members Love Chapel Salvation Army Community Center of Hope Cummins/ Eastside/ Gleaners Mobile Food Pantry First United Methodist (Hot Meals) Aging & Community Services Center Developmental Services Lincoln Central Family Neighborhood Center St. Bartholomew Soup Kitchen Millrace KJ Analysis 10

8 Overall Findings Overall Findings 11 Q: Is there enough food in the network for people in need? The amount of food distributed via community based channels in Bartholomew county comes close to covering the meal gap identified by Map the Meal Gap analysis. Anything less than 100% is not acceptable! Q: How can we make the food assistance solution better? More and better access to food assistance is needed. Transportation is an important factor for the food insecure to reach assistance. Communication of food assistance needs to be improved. Lack of education/ parenting is an issue in feeding the community. Food high in protein is the most wanted.

9 Findings Size of the Gap after Community Response 12

10 SNAP,* SSNP for WIC*, School Meals* Food Assistance Distribution Channel Government Food Assistance Program TEFAP Charitable Food Donations Purchased Food Food Bank (Gleaners, Midwest Food Bank) 2 1 Community Partners (Various) 3 Mobile Pantries Regular Pantries Hot Meals 13 *: It is assumed that food shortfall per Map the Meal Gap is after three major federal food assistance programs - SNAP, WIC, and School Meals.

11 Food Supply (2+3) Total number of meals provided by community partners is 1,553,228 per year. Regular pantry Love Chapel, Salvation Army, Community Center of Hope Mobile pantry Love Chapel, FSP/ Eastside (FSP/ Salvation Army in 2013) Hot meals 6 days a week; 40~60 people served per day Aging services 576 people accessed hot lunch sites in the month of August Backsacks weekend food for kids lbs of food distributed in the year ending July 31, ,075,848* 332,856* 15,600* 6,912* 44,350** Assumptions Food shortfall per Map the Meal Gap is AFTER three major federal food assistance programs - SNAP, WIC, and School Meals. Average household size: 2.68*** One visit to a pantry lasts # of days for an average size family: 9*** Average number of meals per day: 3 % of food assistance provided via other channels (private pantries, emergency shelters, daycare, etc.) in Bartholomew County: 5% 14 Source: *: Local community partners provided # of families served per month or # of people served per day data. **: Gleaners ***: Client survey

12 Findings Size of the Gap The amount of food distributed via community based channels in Bartholomew county comes close to covering the meal gap identified by Map the Meal Gap analysis. Food shortfall per Map the Meal Gap analysis = 1,697,200 meals Food distributed via charity channels = 1,553,228 meals 15

13 Findings Improvement to Food Assistance 16

14 Client Survey - Transportation 56% of clients surveyed cannot afford to travel more than 10 miles for food assistance. 35% 30% 25% 24% 32% 26% 60% 50% 40% 56% 52% 20% 15% 14% 30% 10% 20% 12% 5% 4% 10% 7% 0% Less than 5 miles Less than 10 miles Less than 20 miles Less than 30 miles Less than 50 miles 0% Drive by myself Ride with someone else Take a bus Walk 17 Q: How far are you able to travel for food assistance? Sample size = 102 households Q: What transportation method(s) do you use to go to community services for food assistance?

15 Geographic Coverage of Current Network Approximately 21% of households in Bartholomew County live outside a 10 miles radius of major charitable food assistance locations. 7,195 1,598 3,958 3,318 1,019 3,877 46,214 1,445 Regular pantry Mobile pantry 1,812 3,868 2, miles radius of a regular pantry 10 miles radius of a mobile pantry 5 miles radius of a regular pantry miles radius of a mobile pantry

16 Client Survey Biggest Challenges 41% of clients surveyed view lack of information as their biggest challenge when seeking food assistance. 45% 40% 41% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 15% 10% 5% 10% 6% 10% 19 0% I don't always have all the information I need and don't know how to get those information. They are too far for my family to travel. They are not on a bus route. Their hours of operation are not convenient for me. They do not provide the kind of food my family would like. Q: What are the biggest issues for you to obtain food assistance at community services? Sample size = 102 households

17 Client Survey Desired Food 77% of clients surveyed would need more meat and 35% ask for more dairy products. 77% 35% 8% 23% Q:What other kinds of food you would like to get? 20 Sample size = 102 households

18 Voice of Community Partners Results of clients survey are consistent with the outcome of a KJ analysis based upon voice of community partners. The poverty line is not the only driver of food insecurity. #1 More and better access to food assistance is needed. A variety of different food is desired. One size does not fit all. Client needs are not all the same. Transportation is an important variable for the food insecure population. Comfort and safety are important aspects of food services. #3 Lack of education/ parenting is an issue in feeding the community. Groups in the community who are able need to be more invested in helping with food insecurity. Food need varies by time of month and time of year. #2 Communication of food assistance resources needs to be improved. Simply providing hand-outs is not enough to solve the problems. Community partners collaborate with one another in various ways.

19 Overall Findings - Recap The amount of food distributed via community based channels in Bartholomew county comes close to covering the meal gap identified by Map the Meal Gap analysis. Anything less than 100% is not acceptable! We need more and better access to food assistance. 56% of clients surveyed cannot travel more than 10 miles for food assistance. Approximately 21% of households in Bartholomew County live outside a 10 miles radius of major charitable food assistance locations. 41% of clients surveyed view lack of information as their biggest challenge when seeking food assistance. 77% of clients surveyed would need more meat and 35% ask for more dairy products. Local partners view lack of education/ parenting as a significant issue in feeding the community. 22

20 Appendix 24

21 2012 Federal Poverty Guidelines 28