While ending food insecurity will require major systemic change and innovative thinking, immediate relief for many people is possible through the work of volunteers like you. Giving your time to prepare meals, work in the SPUR Community Roots Garden, or rescue prepared food is an easy way to have a tangible positive impact every day.
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But what does that mean and what does food insecurity look like?
Food insecurity means not having reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. Food insecurity is experienced differently by different constituencies and our programs are designed to meet specific, unique needs of individuals who rely on local shelters for meals, households that depend on food pantries, and others.
- Since the beginning of the pandemic, the number of households in Massachusetts experiencing food insecurity has gone up significantly. Experts estimate that approximately 1.8 million adults in Massachusetts are currently food insecure.
- 18.3% of households in Massachusetts experienced food insecurity in the past six months. That number increases to 26.2% for households with children.
- Seniors are at a higher risk of food insecurity than adults under age 60. Roughly 10% of seniors were food insecure in 2019, the most recent year for which accurate data is available, and experts estimate that number has increased significantly since that time.
- BIPOC households have experienced higher rates of food insecurity. Over 35% of Black and Latino households with children experienced food insecurity in the past 6 months, compared to about 16% of white household with children in the same period.
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With just a few weeks left in the growing season in the SPUR Community Roots Garden, there is still lots of work to be done. We need your help to make sure all of this healthy produce gets to the people in our community who need it the most in these final weeks. Come help us to harvest, and deliver produce every day in October.
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Weekly meal deliveries from Root provide neighbors experiencing food insecurity with delicious and nutritious food prepared by students in Root's culinary job training program. Volunteer to deliver packaged meals on Tuesdays or Wednesday.
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Providing a hot, nutritious meal for neighbors facing food insecurity is a fun, easy way to volunteer as a family. Volunteer with your favorite sous chef to prepare 10 servings of a healthy dinner at home to be served at a local shelter this Wednesday, October 19 or Sunday, October 23.
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