Post by Logan on Jan 24, 2016 5:03:47 GMT -6
Persistent hunger fuels sprawling food supply system for needy Mainers
A multimillion-dollar food distribution network is expanding in Maine to meet the needs of more than 200,000 residents who otherwise would be hungry, a condition that’s worsening despite an overall improving economy.
Federal figures show the level of food insecurity, a measure of a household’s inability to afford enough food throughout the year, has been escalating in Maine to a level that’s the highest in New England and above the national average. The latest government survey shows roughly 16 percent of Maine households are food-insecure, compared to a national average of 14 percent. Hunger relief advocates blame a combination of reasons, including stagnant wages, Maine’s higher cost of living and an aging population.
In response, a parallel food-supply system is ramping up on a scale that rivals a major supermarket chain. The system distributes food to more than 600 food pantries, meal programs and other partner agencies from Kittery to Madawaska, which provide it free of charge to hungry residents. They include 252 food pantries, 1,165 schools, 59 meal sites or soup kitchens, and 11 homeless shelters.
“We’re moving increasingly to two populations,” said Mark Lapping, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine who has worked on food policy issues. “One can afford to buy what it wants. The other can’t, and is highly dependent on these institutions and agencies to obtain food.”
Continued at www.pressherald.com/2016/01/24/persistent-hunger-fuels-sprawling-food-supply-system-for-needy-mainers/ .
A multimillion-dollar food distribution network is expanding in Maine to meet the needs of more than 200,000 residents who otherwise would be hungry, a condition that’s worsening despite an overall improving economy.
Federal figures show the level of food insecurity, a measure of a household’s inability to afford enough food throughout the year, has been escalating in Maine to a level that’s the highest in New England and above the national average. The latest government survey shows roughly 16 percent of Maine households are food-insecure, compared to a national average of 14 percent. Hunger relief advocates blame a combination of reasons, including stagnant wages, Maine’s higher cost of living and an aging population.
In response, a parallel food-supply system is ramping up on a scale that rivals a major supermarket chain. The system distributes food to more than 600 food pantries, meal programs and other partner agencies from Kittery to Madawaska, which provide it free of charge to hungry residents. They include 252 food pantries, 1,165 schools, 59 meal sites or soup kitchens, and 11 homeless shelters.
“We’re moving increasingly to two populations,” said Mark Lapping, a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Southern Maine who has worked on food policy issues. “One can afford to buy what it wants. The other can’t, and is highly dependent on these institutions and agencies to obtain food.”
Continued at www.pressherald.com/2016/01/24/persistent-hunger-fuels-sprawling-food-supply-system-for-needy-mainers/ .