Second Harvest Food Bank Food Insecurity and Poverty as a Strategic Issue
Second Harvest Food Bank have is greatly dedicated to feeding America, eradicating food insecurity, and improving poverty. Food insecurity and hunger are major public health issues in the United States promoting greater social, economic and healthcare related problems. Malnourishment, under-nutrition, and over-nutrition are three ways that food insecurity can impact human health outcomes (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2019). Food security is well-defined by the USDA (2019) as having guaranteed access to food for a healthy, active life at all times. The above statistic states that over 34 million other Americans suffer from hunger. These people lack access to healthful food or do not have enough food to eat. The issue grew as a result of the 2020 COVID-19, unemployment, and economic downturn.
According to Second Harvest Food Bank, hunger and food insecurity impact all American communities. The South and rural communities are more likely to have inadequate access to food due to issues like poverty, unemployment, and high living expenses. Food insecurity affects different groups differently, but because of America’s long history of racism and racial prejudice, it is more prevalent among people of color. Children and elderly are more affected by food insecurity compared to any other group, as that more than 9 million children faced hunger in 2021. More than 2.2 million seniors lacked enough food to live a healthy life in 2021 (Feeding America, 2022). These statistics show that a huge number of Americans are very vulnerable.
The major strategic issue that is covered by Second Harvest Food Bank is to feed America and eradicate food insecurity and hunger. This dedication is in line with the organization’s mission and goals. Food insecurity is a threat to U.S’s future and this organization is dedicated to changing this. Second Focus Food Bank’s major focus is to not only distribute food to the community, but to also educate the population about healthy eating habits and how to make better feeding decisions.
References APA
Coleman-Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C. A., & Singh, A. (2019). Household food security in the United States in 2018, ERR-270. US Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, 47, 1-47.
Feeding America. (2022). Facts about senior hunger in America. U.S. Hunger Relief Organization FeedingAmerica. https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/senior-hunger-facts
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2019). Household food security in the United States in 2018. https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=94848
