Nearly one in five children in the U.S. is food insecure, according to a new USDA report, and the CEO of Feeding America says the issue could be one that unites the country in a divisive time.
“This is one of the things we can all agree on at a time when we're torn apart in so many ways,” Claire Babineaux Fontenot said in a Fox News Digital interview via Zoom from Chicago, where Feeding America is headquartered. (See the video at the beginning of this article.)
“Feeding America is a nationwide network committed to making sure people have the food they need to survive,” she said.
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“Let’s agree on this,” Babineaux Fontenot said. “No child or person should have to be food insecure in this country, and we have the power to do that. [to do that]”
Babineaux Fontenot, who has been CEO of Feeding America since 2018, said what the U.S. needs is “the will to do something about it.”
It's not surprising that the number of Americans facing food insecurity is on the rise, Claire Babineaux Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, said in an interview with Fox News Digital. (Feeding America, John Kopaloff/Getty Images for Feeding America and North Valley Caring Services)
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released its annual food security report on Wednesday.
According to the report, 47.4 million people in the United States will live in “food insecure households” in 2023, accounting for 14.3% of the U.S. population. This figure represents a 6% increase from 2022.
Of these 47.4 million, approximately 14 million are children, or 19.2% of all children in the United States.
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The USDA defines food secure housing as “housing in which all people have access to enough food at all times to lead active, healthy lives.”
While these figures may seem shocking, Babineaux Fontenot said she isn't surprised by them.
“I don't think any food banker across the country will be surprised to hear that donations have increased again,” she said, “and they're increasing again for the same reasons we expected.”
Food insecurity is not limited to any one region of the country or demographic, Babineaux Fontenot said. (Feed America)
Babineaux Fontenot said the US has “tremendous resources” but supplies have still been cut by 45%.
Contrary to what some may assume, most people who seek help from food banks and food pantries are not homeless or living on the streets, Babineaux Fontenot said.
People facing hunger “are your neighbors, they're my neighbors,” she said.
“Many hungry people are working not one, but sometimes two jobs, and still facing hardship, trying to make ends meet.”
“They are hard-working, dedicated people who want the exact same things for their family that I want for my own family.”
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She continued: “Many people who are hungry are working not one, but sometimes two jobs, and still face hardships, struggling to make ends meet, and unable to consistently put food and nutrition on the table for themselves and their children.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, more of what Babineaux Fontenot calls “working class” people have turned to food pantries.
Experts say food pantries across the country have seen an increase in demand for food since the COVID-19 pandemic began. (Feed America)
“The people who rely on food banks are people who technically make too much to qualify for federal nutrition programs,” she said.
“So they turn to us in the charitable food system for the food and nutrition they need for their families.”
“And everything in between.”
There is no “category” of people in the U.S. who are not affected by food insecurity or hunger, she said.
Soaring inflation leaves food banks struggling to meet demand, creating food insecurity for working families
“Our men and women who serve, active duty and veterans, are suffering from hunger,” Babineaux Fontenot said. “Rural Americans are suffering from hunger. Urban Americans are suffering from hunger and everything in between.”
“There is not a single county in the entire United States that does not have people suffering from hunger.”
“There is not a single county in the entire United States that doesn't experience hunger, no matter how wealthy that county is,” she said.
September is known as “Hunger Action Month,” Babineaux Fontenot said, which means “we ask Americans to pause and take action on the issue of hunger in this country.”
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This can be done in a variety of ways, she said, but the most basic way is to simply donate money to a local food bank or food pantry.
“It means a lot because every dollar that goes into our network has a much bigger impact in terms of turning it into a meal than it would have in the hands of the general public.” [for] People who are starving,” she said.
Babineaux Fontenot of Feeding America said food pantries need both monetary and food donations. (Feed America)
Fundraising funds continue to dwindle, putting additional strain on these food pantries, she said.
Food donations are also welcome.
“Right now, the demand is increasing but we have less and less food to provide,” she said.
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And for those who can't Donate Babineaux Fontenot said simply speaking out about food issues helps.
“And we need friends — people who will speak up to support policies that will really make a difference in the lives of people who suffer from hunger,” she said.
Looking to the future, Babineaux Fontenot believes solving hunger can and should be a bipartisan issue.
“We're seeing things that are impacting regular people, working hard, trying to make a living, sometimes struggling to make ends meet,” Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux Fontenot told Fox News Digital. (Fox News)
“For example, on the child tax credit, I'm very pleased to hear that both of the candidates running for president right now agree that we should revisit the child tax credit and do something more about it,” she said.
“Increasing the Child Tax Credit during the pandemic and making it available to more families has led to a 46% reduction in child poverty,” she said.
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“These are the kinds of things we see at the food bank. We're seeing things that are impacting regular people who are working hard, trying to make a living and sometimes struggling to make ends meet.”
