Authors: NACHW Executive Director Denise Octavia Smith, CHW, PN, MBA and NACHW Data and Evaluation Manager Allison Joslyn, MA
Access to nutritious and affordable food should be a human right – but it is not. COVID-19 resulted in more than 53 million people seeking food assistance in pantries and soup kitchens. Long before COVID-19 disrupted supply chains, closed restaurants, and placed grocery store, factory and farm workers at increased risk for infection, children and adults across the globe were going hungry.
Wars, famines, and natural disasters rightly command high profile responses for food and water delivery, but what about the hunger that is hidden in plain sight on every continent every day?
- Rising food prices, political instability and stagnant wages result in over 800 million people worldwide who go to bed hungry every night.
- S. veterans, who experience service-related disability and are more likely to have psychological challenges than the general population are going hungry.
- Formerly incarcerated persons are twice as likely to suffer food insecurity and face barriers to available food benefits due to their
- An estimated 1 in 5 Native Americans suffers from hunger every
From the heartland to main street, to the pueblo and the block – people struggle to find nutritious and affordable food.
