8 Best Ways to Combat Food Insecurity in Your Community
Whether you volunteer or donate, you can make a difference in the lives of those around you.
Hunger is an all-too-common issue in the United States. Food insecurity has increased sharply in America due to the widespread economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving laid off, furloughed, and reduced-time workers struggling to put food on the table.
It’s estimated that as many as 54.3 million people won’t have access to enough food for their households this year—up from 37 million pre-pandemic. That's over 16% of the country. In addition to turning to federal support, families have depended on local food banks to fill the gaps. These organizations face declines in donations and volunteers, but continue to do the hard work needed to help their communities.
Food insecurity can't be solved with just one approach‚ and no one form of aid is automatically better than another. So no matter what you're able to do in your community—volunteer, donate, advocate, organize—any work put toward food justice gets us one step closer to overcoming the problem for good. Here's how you can fight food insecurity and make a difference in your area.
Work with Feeding America.
Feeding America is an organization made up of 200 food banks across the country that are dedicated to ending hunger nationwide. In partnership with Feeding America, Prevention and Hearst Magazines are committed to putting an end to hunger. To help food banks feed families in need, donate and volunteer with your local chapter.
Find Mutual Aid networks.
Within Mutual Aid groups, community members take direct action to care for one another, especially to combat issues like food insecurity. They've grown more popular since the start of the pandemic, meaning many communities already have a network in place. To find one near you, search social media or Mutual Aid Hub. And if there isn't an organization already, go ahead and start one—you'll find that plenty of people near you want to help too.
Contact your representatives.
Food insecurity doesn't exist in a vacuum—it's the result of larger, overarching injustices that affect millions of Americans. Policy can keep more people out of the dire financial straits that cause hunger. Write to or call your local representatives and push for policies that will increase access to food, including expanding SNAP benefits, increasing the minimum wage, and funding food initiatives.
Stock a community fridge.
In response to COVID-19, community fridges—outdoor refrigerators where anyone can take or donate food—are being established by organizers around the country. They rely on donations, so if you're feeling generous, just buy a little extra on your next grocery run and leave it in a local fridge. Look up "community fridges near me" or check out a map of fridges here. (And if you have an extra fridge, consider starting one in your neighborhood.)
Volunteer at a food bank.
One of the best ways to fight food insecurity is to get hands-on. No one should feel obligated to volunteer during the novel coronavirus pandemic, but if you can manage it, the food banks in your area probably need the extra hands. Find volunteer opportunities through Feeding America or through sites like Volunteer Match, which link you with organizations close to you.
Support Black-operated food justice initiatives.
On top of being disproportionally affected by COVID-19, Black Americans are the most food insecure group in the country, according to a 2018 study, and one in four Black children struggle to get enough to eat, per Feeding America. Black-operated organizations like Black Dirt Farm Collective, Soil Generation, and Black Urban Growers fight for food justice through collective action. Find a comprehensive list of local and national initiatives here.
Organize a food drive.
Everyone probably has some extra produce, pasta, or cans of food lying around. Instead of letting it go to waste, put it toward a food drive of your very own. (Check out Move for Hunger's resource guide to find details on how to start a drive.) Even if your effort doesn't bring in a huge amount of food, even one box of donations can provide up to 25 meals. It's more than worth it.
Set up a community garden.
Do you have or know of an unused plot of land that's easily accessible? Don't let it go fallow—instead, work to turn it into a community garden. Community members can come and plant crops, which provides a safe, educational outlet for young people and yields healthy produce for food insecure families to share. Learn more about how to start one and apply for funding at Seed Money.
Jake Smith, an editorial fellow at Prevention, recently graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in magazine journalism and just started going to the gym. Let's be honest—he's probably scrolling through Twitter right now.
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