Food insecurity is defined as when a family, in the past 12 months, has worried that their food would run out before they had money to buy more. In Allen County alone, over 14% of our population is food insecure. This includes 18,000 children, and households with children are more likely to be food insecure than those without children. Many individuals face spending trade-offs that lead to food insecurity (housing, utilities, healthcare, transportation), and food-insecure individuals’ annual healthcare expenditures are $1,184 higher than those who are food secure.
With this knowledge and awareness of the need within our community, The St. Joe Foundation will advance the goal that vulnerable, food-insecure individuals are enabled to access nutritious food with dignity and assisted with strategies to empower them to build their own sustainability.
Some of the strategies we are supporting include:
- HEAL (Healthy Eating, Active Living) Info on Our Healing Kitchen grants, HEAL farm markets
- Vulnerable Populations Report Local data on food insecurity and food deserts
In addition, area organizations may apply for a grant from the Foundation to empower more food-insecure individuals to access and use nutritious, local food. Learn more about the Foundation’s work in this area through our Food Insecurity Community Reports and Grantee Stories.
