Do you know where your next meal will come from?
- MHAI
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
What will I have for dinner tonight? For many Americans, this question is less about choice and more about necessity. Food insecurity is becoming increasingly common in communities across the country, bringing with it a whole host of physical and psychological repercussions.
This issue is becoming particularly important once more as federal funding cuts are causing a “sense of panic” among farmers who don’t know if they will be able to produce enough food.
Since the new administration came in, there has been a cut of “$30 million in federal funding in Illinois. That money supported 175 farmers who provided food to nearly 900 community sites,” according to the CBS article. Everywhere you look, it appears that food banks are in crisis mode in Illinois.
The problem of food insecurity
All of this is leading to food insecurity – a phenomena that really shouldn’t be happening in one of the richest countries in the world.
This USDA term simply refers to people not having enough to eat and not necessarily knowing where their next meal will come from. According to some sources, there are 47 million people in the USA who are suffering from food insecurity.
Of those 47 million, 1,506,320 live in Illinois, including 426,600 children. This is a number that is set to rise as the effects of funding cuts become more obvious. We must also keep in mind the other individuals who don’t meet the definition of “food insecure” but who also need to turn to charities for support to feed their families.
Food deserts: Not all “food” is created equal
For many people, the problem isn’t necessarily that they can’t get access to any food – it’s that they can’t get access to quality food. The old saying of “man cannot live on bread alone” can be carried into the modern world with “families cannot live on McDonald’s alone”.
The reason for this is due to something called “food deserts,” which can be found throughout the country. A food desert refers to areas where it is highly difficult to find food that is healthy, affordable, or culturally important to a certain group.
If you drive through one of these areas, you may see plenty of fast food franchises or other highly processed options. But if you want, for example, fresh fruits and vegetables, they can be much more difficult to find, and more expensive if you do.
Food deserts in Illinois
The most recent statistics on food deserts in Illinois were released last year. Although there needs to be new surveys carried out, the report found that, “Food deserts are disproportionately found in high-poverty areas.”.
Studies show that food insecurity, for example, is more prevalent in black communities, with a number of grocery stores having “shuttered their doors in predominantly Black neighborhoods”.
According to the article, the reason for closures are loss of revenue. These closures mean that 63.5% of residents in West Englewood and 52% of residents in East Garfield Park live over half a mile from their nearest grocery store. For comparison, only 1% of West Town residents have the same issue.
There is also a logistical issue at play, as Mayor Brandon Johnson recently spoke about how city infrastructure can impact people’s access to food.
The ongoing effect of food security
The growing problem of lack of access to healthy, affordable food is taking its toll on the population in various ways.
Health complications
The food we put into our bodies will inevitably impact how well they run. As the Chicago Crusader reports, “Lack of access to healthy food is associated with a range of health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes. According to the Center for American Progress, food insecurity costs the U.S. economy $130.5 billion in unnecessary health care costs.”
The mental fallout
Not giving people options to purchase real, healthy, and nutritious food is having a terrible effect on health. But it doesn’t stop there.
Low-quality food can affect your mental health, perhaps even more than you may realize. A Harvard study found that:
“Diets high in refined sugars, for example, are harmful to the brain. In addition to worsening your body's regulation of insulin, they also promote inflammation and oxidative stress. Multiple studies have found a correlation between a diet high in refined sugars and impaired brain function – and even a worsening of symptoms of mood disorders, such as depression.”
This is the result of a poor diet, but if you add on the mental burden of not being sure if you can provide for your family, the situation gets even worse. The stress caused by these cumulative factors can lead to long-term mental health issues for families who are suffering.
And remember – it shouldn’t be this way.
Worried about your next meal?
Are you worried about your next meal or would like to support those who are? There are many food banks around Chicago and the state as a whole that are in desperate need of your help.
By donating to these food banks, you can help reduce the mental load on struggling families and make sure that children get access to higher quality foods.
Some larger organizations include:
We also recommend looking around your local community for opportunities to help people in your local area. If you can’t find anything, consider taking action by organizing a local food drive in your nearest grocery store.
For more information on how you can do this, please contact us directly and we will put you in contact with the right people to make it happen in your area.
No child should go hungry in the United States. Let’s make sure they don’t.