The face of food insecurity is one you might recognize. It’s the elderly man who lives down the street who has to support himself with a fixed income that doesn’t keep pace with inflation. It’s the single mother who lives across town who wonders how she’ll feed her three kids when school lunch programs are on hiatus. It’s the young man you pass in the grocery store who’s trying to figure out how to make his SNAP benefits stretch to cover him and his mother, who is disabled, for the remainder of the month. Perhaps it’s even the face you see when you look in the mirror.
Feeding America defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. It’s a problem that’s prevalent across the country and in the Lehigh Valley.
- According to the USDA, more than 38 million people, including 12 million children, experience food insecurity in the United States.
- According to the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley, one in 10 people in the Lehigh Valley are food insecure.
- Governor Tom Wolf's office says that nearly one in 20 Pennsylvanians were newly food insecure in 2020.
- Recently, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania has been distributing between 11 and 12 million pounds of food annually.
What Causes Food Insecurity?
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture lists several causes of food insecurity. Among them are:
- Lack of transportation or lack of access to fresh, healthy foods
- Lack of awareness of existing community resources
- Economic difficulties, including job loss
- Shortcomings of supplemental benefits, like SNAP
There may also be hesitancy about seeking help. “Food insecurity is something that people just don’t talk about,” says Susan Dalandan of the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council. “There’s a lot of reasons. If it’s a family, a lot of times they won’t talk about food insecurity because they’re afraid their children will be taken away from them.”
The Pandemic Made It Worse
In 2014, the United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley pledged to reduce food insecurity in the community by 50 percent by 2022. Dalandan says that goal was well within reach. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Job and wage losses increased Americans’ dependency on food pantries. But even now, as the pandemic seemingly moves to an endemic phase, the need for social service programs that combat food insecurity has not diminished. “It’s really a challenging time,” says Allison Czapp, Second Harvest’s associate executive director. Many of the government safety nets put in place during the pandemic have been yanked away, including the expanded child tax credit and federal eviction moratorium. Record-high inflation and elevated housing costs also have exacerbated the problem. Czapp says, as of August of 2022, Second Harvest was serving 19,000 households, a 60 percent increase from January. Chris Moran, development officer for The Lehigh Conference of Churches, also reports a summertime spike; in July alone, they served more than 5,000 meals. “We’re doing everything we can in our facility to try to help those individuals as best as we can,” says Moran.
Who’s Leading the Charge to Make a Change?
The Lehigh Valley is fortunate to have a number of dedicated organizations that provide resources for those who need them, while exploring solutions to chip away at those troubling food insecurity statistics. Among them:
The Bethlehem Food Co-Op broke ground on its long-awaited grocery store in May. Its location at 250 E. Broad Street was chosen specifically for its accessibility. “We’re in a neighborhood, we’re on a bus route,” says Board Chair Carol Ritter. “People can walk to our store. People will be able to ride their bikes. We’re going to be providing reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. That’s who we are.” They’re aiming for an August 2023 open date, and they’re also hoping to be able to offer delivery service.
With roots that extend back to 1982, Second Harvest Food Bank now serves 200 agencies in a six-county area: Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties. It has programs tailored specifically for at-risk groups, such as veterans, senior citizens and children. Czapp says being able to offer more fresh produce is one of the agency’s major goals for the future: “The demand is so high for it. We don’t have enough to give to everyone who wants it.”
New Bethany Ministries was the brainchild of several people from different faith communities who wanted to do something about poverty and related issues in South Bethlehem in the early 1980s. One of the services it currently offers is its Choice Food Pantry, open Monday through Friday.
Six Allentown pastors joined forces to create The Lehigh Conference of Churches in 1954. Its Conference Kitchen serves breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday through Friday. The meals can be eaten on-site or taken to go. “There’s no questions asked,” says Moran. “Anyone can stop in at any given time.” The agency will observe Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week from November 12–20 with a variety of activities, including a special podcast focused on advocacy from The Official Brunch Boys (November 15) and a prayer vigil (November 18).
United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley marked its 100th anniversary in 2017. According to its website, United Way supports more than 100 community programs in the Lehigh Valley, including initiatives aimed at increasing food access to families in need. In 2015, United Way was one of the co-founders of the Lehigh Valley Food Policy Council, a collaboration of nearly two dozen community members and organizations working to support local farmers, help the local food economy thrive and reduce food insecurity.
How Can You Help?
Two words: volunteer and donate. Many food pantries are in need of monetary donations and manpower. In the latter category, volunteers are needed to do everything from stocking shelves to sorting supplies to helping out at distribution events. More details can be found on their websites.
But if you’re truly looking to get your hands dirty, check out The Seed Farm in Emmaus. The farm, which is affiliated with Second Harvest and Community Action Lehigh Valley, aims to train the next generation of farmers while increasing access to fresh food in the Valley. Volunteers are needed for basic manual labor and also to help with plant sales and other fundraisers.
Published as "A Local Look at Food Insecurity" in the November 2022 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
