New Study Shows That Many In Region Do Not Know Where They Will Get Their Next Meal

A new study finds that 89,010 people across Harvest Hope Food Bank’s eight county Pee Dee service area – including 26,530 children – do not always know where they will find their next meal. In all, 24 percent of the population in Chesterfield, Clarendon, Darlington, Dillon, Florence, Lee, Marlboro and Marion Counties struggle with hunger, according to research by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger-relief organization. More alarming is that 28.5 per cent of children in the area live in continued food insecurity.
The findings are from Feeding America’s “Map the Meal Gap” study, which estimates the rate of food insecurity for both the general population and, separately, for children under the age of 18. The estimates are calculated at both the county and congressional-district level for the entire U.S. Harvest Hope Food Bank is part of the Feeding America network.
By analyzing household income levels, the study reveals that 74.5 per cent of children at risk of hunger in Harvest Hope’s eight county Pee Dee service area service area are eligible for federal nutrition programs, like free or reduced-price school lunch or breakfast; but that 25.5 per cent are not. Further, 68 per cent of children across Harvest Hope’s entire 20 county service area are eligible for federal nutrition programs, but 32 per cent are not. Feeding America provides a detailed spreadsheet showing childhood insecurity and nutritional assistance disparity in all 20 counties in Harvest Hope’s service area.
“This new information shows the depth of hunger and food insecurity throughout the Pee Dee, and truly shows the scope of Harvest Hope’s hunger relief mission in the area,” said Harvest Hope CEO Denise Holland. “With more than 89,000 people struggling to put food on their tables every day in the Pee Dee, you can see hunger is a reality in our communities, and these findings should be a wake-up call for everyone to show how much is needed, and how much everyone needs to do to feed our neighbors.”
Visit the Map the Meal Gap interactive map with information specific to SC and Harvest Hope service area counties here: http://www.harvesthope. org/map-the-meal.
“Food insecurity is one of the leading public health challenges in the United States,” said Dr. Craig Gundersen, Professor of Agricultural and Consumer Economics at the University of Illinois, an international food insecurity expert and the lead researcher of the “Map the Meal Gap” study. “We undertook this research to demonstrate the extent and prevalence of food insecurity at both the county and congressional-district level. This data has the potential to redefine the way service providers and policy makers address food insecurity in the communities they serve.”
“We are particularly concerned about children who are under-nourished. A child who does not receive adequate nutrition may experience behavioral problems, have difficulty concentrating in school, and has an increased risk of medical problems. Lack of adequate nutrition in children, for even a brief period of time, may also cause permanent physical and developmental impairments,” Gundersen said.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, more than 50 million people nationwide are food insecure.
“Map the Meal Gap 2013” also shows:
-The average cost of a meal in South Carolina is $2.49. Across Harvest Hope’s 20 county service area, the average cost of a meal is $2.56.
-Across Harvest Hope’s eight county Pee Dee service area, the average cost of a meal is $2.60, compared to the national average of $2.67.
-The weekly per person food budget shortfall in eight Pee Dee counties, meaning the amount of additional money that food-insecure individuals in the area said they would need to put enough food on the table each week for an adequate diet, is $13.99. The total Meal Gap across the entire Pee Dee eight county service area, or the amount it would take to insure residents have enough food to meet minimum daily needs, is $14,611,080.
-Harvest Hope dedicates 98¢ out of every dollar donated to providing hunger relief across 20 SC counties.
This is the third year that Feeding America has conducted the “Map the Meal Gap” study. The findings of “Map the Meal Gap” are based on statistics collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; food price data and analysis were provided by Nielsen (NYSE: NLSN), a global information and measurement company providing insights into what consumers watch and buy.
Prior to the study’s first release in March 2011, food insecurity data was only available at the state level in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s annual report. The study further analyzes each county’s food insecure population to determine their income eligibility for federal nutrition assistance, and also provides meal cost estimates for every county in the nation.

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