Food insecurity in portions of Kentucky, Indiana on the rise
Food insecurity in portions of Kentucky and Indiana has increased by almost 50% in two years.
It's an alarming statistic.
At a time when local food banks are receiving less support from the government, Dare to Care explained why this is happening.
Leaders at Dare to Care are calling it a perfect storm. They say they're preparing for the worst but hoping for the best.
It's a routine sight at Dare to Care food bank 맥스카지노 local food pantries loading up their vans and heading out to distribute food.
But over the last two years, they've seen a decrease in the amount of food they're receiving and an increase in the amount of people needing it.
"At this level, we really haven't seen since the great recession. When you talk about the numbers we had since 2008," said CEO of Dare to Care Vincent James.
New numbers from Feeding America show food insecurity in parts of Kentucky and Indiana has nearly doubled in the last two years. That means more than 186,000 people across 13 counties are experiencing a lack of food.
"That's just unimaginable," James said.
Leaders with Dare to Care say there's a reason for this. The extra benefits people received during the pandemic have gone away, while prices for just about everything have gone up.
With programs like SNAP and The Emergency Food Assistance Program at risk of losing funding, the concern is that if the need becomes too great, and there isn't enough federal support, meals may stop going out.
"We're not going to be able to even provide the food because it's not coming to us," James said.
Dare to Care is asking people to reach out to their local legislators and specifically talk to them about SNAP and The Emergency Food Assistance Program.