A staff photographer for the San Antonio Express-News, William Luther, may have done more to help hungry Americans this Thanksgiving than anyone will ever really know, according to CBS News, and with Thanksgiving coming up, more families will have something on the table this year.
We’re talking about a drone image taken back on April 9, high above some ten thousand people, their cars parked bumper-to-bumper in a vast San Antonio parking lot, waiting for food. The image went viral. “I think it really helped put clarity on something that was really difficult for people to understand,” Luther said.
These are people waiting for food distribution to begin at San Antonio's Food Bank. 10,000 families. pic.twitter.com/Ezelj87eDj
— Mark Elliott (@markmobility) April 10, 2020
And since then, similar scenes have been repeated around the country, like a massive one in Dallas/Fort Worth just this past week. A food bank in Northern Colorado serving Larimer County residents has seen a 41 percent increase in food distribution to other local nonprofits.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. This is not to be confused with “hunger,” which refers to a personal, physical feeling of discomfort. Food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources for food at the household level.
With the support of @TracyMorgan @RCornegyJr @StopandShop @WakefernFood @NYCHA & our own @foodbank4nyc staff, we were able to distribute Thanksgiving meals to over 1,000 families in need. Thank you to everyone who made this distribution possible! pic.twitter.com/arkoB2x05k
— Food Bank For New York City (@FoodBank4NYC) November 22, 2020
In 2019, 10.5 percent of households were food insecure at least during some part of the year, according to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). These numbers equate to about 35 million Americans — including approximately 11 million children that were food insecure.
A poll conducted by market research company OnePoll was released Tuesday that showed that 4 out of 10 people – that’s 40 percent – have experienced food insecurity since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our annual Holiday Meal Kit distribution got underway yesterday, serving families in Dunnigan, and those who attend school in nearby Arbuckle.
A guide to meal kit distributions this weekend in Woodland, Davis, & West Sacramento is linked in our bio. pic.twitter.com/ETc16T9joz
— Yolo Food Bank (@YoloFoodBank) November 20, 2020
Close to half of those polled said they struggled to afford food, while 67 percent of adults say they have skipped a meal at times just so their children could have a meal. Yes, it is true that food insecurity is not something new in this country, but the pandemic has exacerbated the problem.
Based on data from Feeding America, a leading national nonprofit food bank network – “if the unemployment rate averages 10.5% this year and the poverty rate comes in above 14%, (which Feeding America expects the U.S. to hit), more than 50 million people will experience food insecurity, including about 17 million children.
Thank you, @CSPDPIO for donating 100 Thanksgiving turkeys for our neighbors in need!
So far, we’ve collected 1,046 turkeys. Our goal is to get to 2,000 by 6 p.m. If you can, please stop by our Colorado Springs or Pueblo Distribution Center to donate. pic.twitter.com/RGue4zo5eM
— Care and Share Food Bank (@CareandShareFB) November 20, 2020
Those impacted the most are Black and Latino Americans, especially those with children, and the elderly, who quite often have difficulty getting to a grocery store.
Federal programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), and the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) are helping, but food banks and pantries are picking up a lot of the slack, reports CNBC News.
