By Rachel Sprouse
A
s the new year starts, commercials shift from holiday messages to gym memberships, and focuses change from donations to New Year’s resolutions. While some worry about what foods to eat to live a healthier lifestyle, others are struggling to put food on their plates. Although the holidays are a great reminder to donate to local charities to support those in our community, the need for basic resources like food is a yearround issue. In 2017, 40 million Americans struggled with hunger in the United States. In Georgia, one in seven people are not certain where their next meal will come from, according to Feeding America. Food insecurity can affect people from every background, but many aren’t sure what it is or how to help end this growing problem in our communities. Food insecurity is the inability to consistently provide food for your household.
42
Woodstock Family Life | JANUARY 2019
According to Millie Hughes, director of the food pantry operation at Never Alone, food insecurity often arises because of difficult choices a person must make.
also reach out to local food banks and food pantries for assistance, like the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Never Alone.
“They can either pay the light bill or purchase food,” Hughes says. “It’s not necessarily that they’re not trying [or] not having a job. It’s just there’s not enough to go around to provide all the needs that they and their family have on a monthly basis.”
Since it began five years ago, Never Alone serves about 300 families in Cherokee County, acting as a resource for those in need. From their building, they can warehouse donations and allow people to “shop” for their food in a dignified way.
To supplement the lack of resources, many go on food stamps, now known as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This program allows families to stretch their food budget and offers assistance to those who struggle with food insecurity. Many households
“We feel like there’s a lot of food insecurity in the area, and we need to address that,” Hughes says. According to Feeding America, many food-insecure households that received assistance in 2014 live at or below the poverty line. Poverty can come about in many ways, but it can be categorized as situational or generational. Situational poverty develops from a change in a person’s daily life. These changes can vary from job loss, death in the family,
Over 30,000 Each Issue, Every Month