The Problem
I began looking into stats about hunger in Utah County. According to Wendy Osborne, founder of Tabitha's Way, "There are 530,000 people in Utah County. 78,000 of those people are at or below the poverty line." One of the impacts of poverty is food insecurity. This happens when the income-to-needs ratio decreases. According to Al Switzler, founder of Tabitha's Way North, "Food insecurity is the anxiety that comes from not knowing where your next meal is coming from." Mr. Switzler is very passionate about feeding the unfortunate because of the experiences he had as a child.
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JOB LOSSUnemployment is associated with food insecurity because the income-to-need ratio is lowered. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, "As of May, 2018, the unemployment rate in Utah County was 2.5%. That means there are over 13,000 unemployed adults in Utah County."
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VETERANSCertain groups of veterans suffer from hunger, especially those with disabilities and mental illness.
"There are over 14,400 vets living in Utah County as of 2017" (U.S. Census Bureau). Greg Stegall, program director at a Pennsylvania food bank, said, "Any program that tries to engage hungry vets will make a positive impact in their lives." |
ILLNESSDuring times of illness, people experience reduced food intake because they lack money and other resources for food. Their money is being spent on medication and treatment. The USDA Economic Research Service states, "Food insecurity status is more strongly predictive of chronic illness in some cases even than income."
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REFUGEESUnlike immigrants, refugees were forced to leave their home countries. They face unique challenges when coming to the U.S. Lack of income and navigating the food environment contribute to food insecurity. According to Utah.gov, "Each year, charitable organizations resettle 1,200 refugees in Utah. They earn an average of $9 per hour." This makes it difficult for them to feed their families.
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HISPANICS Hispanics tend to have incomes at or below the poverty level for a variety of reasons. This means they have a more difficult time putting food on the table. As reported by DataUSA, "There are over 60,000 Hispanics residing in Utah County which is about 1 in every 9 residents." Therefore, hunger is a concern for many Hispanics in Utah County.
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