Food insecurity is a crisis affecting a disproportionate percentage of our population. The Rio Grande Valley is one of the poorest places in the U.S. The safety net isn't large enough or sturdy enough to support all of those who are suffering from food insecurity stemming from high unemployment and escalating food costs. We are distributing lots of food. And we're hiring young workers who need an income boost to help us do it more efficiently.

Challenge

High unemployment and raging inflation cause widespread food insecurity in the Rio Grande Valley, and because we are one of the poorest places in the country people do not have savings to fall back on. During the pandemic we served over 7 million meals, and now in 2022 we are once again ramping up food distributions to get hard-to-afford fresh produce and pantry staples to our most vulnerable neighbors.

Long-Term Impact

While we hope that the economy will improve, in the meanwhile we are getting food to people as efficiently as possible. If things become more manageable, we also plan to work together to examine our community's food pantry system to ensure that it's equitable and efficient.

References

1. http://www.unitedwayrgv.org
2. http://www.unitedwayrgv.org

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