Food insecurity in Rhode Island is at its "highest level on record," according to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank's annual Status Report on Hunger. The report, released last week, documents a continued rise in hunger and food insecurity — uncertainty about finding one's next meal — in the state and makes general recommendations for alleviating Rhode Island's hunger problem.
Food insecurity rose from 10.9 percent of the population in 2007 to 14.7 percent in 2010, according to the report. The number of recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, also known as food stamps, has doubled in the past four years due to rising poverty and unemployment rates.
The uptick in food insecurity has not escaped local food providers. Emergency resources like food pantries have felt the bite of decreasing funding, as both private donations and government funding have dried up amid the recent economic doldrums. While the number of people served by emergency food pantries in the state has increased 58 percent over the past four years, funding from federal food and shelter grants decreased 40 percent this year.
"We have definitely seen an increase, with the families who are living at our shelter and the people living in the ZIP code we service, pretty steadily this year and last year," said Mishell Middleton, the shelter director of Interim House, a nonprofit run by the Providence Community Action Program.
Interim House, which offers both emergency shelter and food pantries for those in need, distributed 106 food boxes in 2010. As of Oct. 31 this year, Interim House has already distributed 149 boxes.
Farm Fresh Rhode Island, a nonprofit that organizes local farmers' markets, has made efforts to accommodate the growing number of food-insecure families through programs that emphasize public education.
"There's definitely a continued rise in the use of food stamps," said Noah Fulmer, the organization's executive director. Farm Fresh also offers a $2 bonus for every $5 spent in food stamps to encourage low-income families to spend money on healthy local produce. Participation in the program rose roughly 64 percent last year.
Farm Fresh also launched Health Servings for Seniors this year, a program that works with senior centers to educate low-income residents about healthy and affordable eating.
"As people grow older, they may be living alone for the first time in many years. It's a challenge to figure out how to continue to cook for yourself, how to cook affordably," Fulmer said. The program runs a free five-week class on nutrition education and offers a one-time $15 bonus at the end of the program to incentivize healthy eating.
Fulmer emphasized the commitment to maintaining resources for healthy eating.
"It's important to engage children and families," Fulmer said. "We all eat three times a day. Food is something we can all connect to, something we should all be aware of."
Middleton said even as organizations work to fight increased food insecurity in Rhode Island, the problem shows no signs of abating.
"I think it's going to continue to get worse and worse as unemployment rates continue to rise," Middleton said. "I don't see an end to this."
