What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity in the San Luis Valley is experienced at 2x the Colorado average. You may have heard this statistic before, but what does it really mean? As the name would suggest, someone experiencing food insecurity has a difficult time affording or obtaining food, but the term is a bit more complicated than that.
Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” It is not just the state of hunger, instead, food insecure individuals consistently don’t know where their next meal comes from. Food insecurity can be caused by a number of factors such as:
- Low or inconsistent income
- Food deserts (areas without nutritious food for sale)
- Seasonal change in food supply
- High cost of living
- Difficulty accessing government benefits
- And more social and economic factors
In the United States, 38.3 million citizens struggle with food insecurity in some form. Food insecurity is present in every state, in every town. Despite how widespread this problem is, it is mostly addressed on a local level. Government organizations and nonprofits like La Puente are taking steps to reduce the impact of food insecurity.
One of the greatest ways to reduce food insecurity is through food banks. Food banks collect donations from local grocery stores that would otherwise go to waste and distribute them to community members in need. La Puente’s food bank in Alamosa re-creates the experience of shopping at a grocery store and lets clients pick out which items they’d like. Thanks to the generous donations of local businesses, there are plenty of fruits and vegetables to choose from.
Distributing food is the most immediate way to alleviate hunger. However, a full stomach only lasts a day. Here are some other ways La Puente programs are combating food insecurity in the long term:
- Crisis Prevention helps people navigate financial hardship and reach stability.
- The Emergency Shelter provides 2 fresh-cooked meals a day for everyone in the community.
- VEGI teaches the community how to grow their own food and provides supplies for families to start their own gardens.
- Adelante helps families overcome the hardships that contribute to food insecurity.
- Volunteer Coordination is supporting the construction of a new, bigger food bank on State Ave.
- Street Outreach distributes food and supplies to community members in the most need.
Food insecurity can feel even more overwhelming this time of year. Winter makes it harder to access grocery stores without a car, and crops are in decline. Joyous holidays can become stressful without a consistent source of food. However, public services and compassionate community members can alleviate the strain. La Puente provides Thanksgiving dinners, community meals, Christmas gifts, and more to community members in need. To learn more about La Puente’s resources, visit the ‘programs’ tab on our website or stop by in person.