Tackling the "Why" Behind Food Insecurity

Poverty can be defined in different ways. In my work I define it as an individual or family not having enough money to meet basic needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. Poverty starts a domino effect: it produces illness, hunger, malnutrition, and so many more assaults on wellbeing. It is often passed down from generation to generation. “Generational Poverty is handed over to individuals and families from one generation to the next.” The best approach to combating poverty is to start at the root of the problem: the mind. Mindset can shape their entire life.

Most people in poverty suffer from food insecurity. Food insecurity is the lack of consistent access to enough healthy foods. Although most low-income families receive subsidized food assistance, some are not educated on how to prepare healthy meals. In addition, healthier foods seem to be more expensive. I remember shopping at a local grocery store and noticed three different ground beef prices, $12, $17, and $26. The least expensive beef had the most fat and the most expensive beef was lean. Most people who receive subsidized food assistance would choose the $12 beef to save money.

Food pantries are needed to provide a sustainable resource to needy families. However, even as charities provide the resources--the what--I believe charitable organizations should also provide resources to help tackle the why. Why are people returning to the food pantries? Some return more than others for various reasons, but the big ones are lack of money and lack of education on how to reuse food. Building trust and relationships with the guests who use the food pantry is vital. Once trust is secure then action should be taken to help the families learn to be self-sufficient. Self-sufficiency doesn’t look the same for everyone. Although each person needs food, their circumstances are not necessarily the same. There are people who need assistance and have full time jobs, while others are homeless and jobless. This is why community resources and charities are so important. Most people who live in poverty don’t know they're in poverty or that they’re suffering from food insecurities. When poverty is the norm, it often cannot be identified by those who are victims of it, because it is all they’ve ever known. Once the status of poverty is identified, those who experience it can make a decision to combat it or remain in it.

There are multiple steps to getting out of poverty and becoming self-sufficient. It starts with the mindset of the individual. I know because I had to take the same steps. We need charities and other community organizations to help by meeting people where they are. For example, if an organization wanted to help people get out of debt by teaching finance classes, but the individual is more concerned about their utilities getting shut off, they won’t attend the class. The struggle of surviving every day can consume the person in poverty.

Hope for the Hungry is a non-profit organization located in South Bend, Indiana. I founded Hope for the Hungry with the intent to combat poverty by identifying the cause of it. Growing up in a similar situation, I can relate to those my organization serves. There are several different projects Hope for the Hungry plans to implement, including healthy cooking classes, food budgeting and usages classes, food sanitation classes, and more. The projects were created to target the problem and create solutions. The goal is to educate people on how to sustain food. We are on the receiving side transitioning to the giving side.

As a person who suffered from poverty and understands the struggle, I know that breaking the cycle of poverty is hard but attainable. I learned to use the resources available to me. I became uncomfortable in the struggle. I got myself involved in self sufficiency, financial, and home ownership classes. The process was hard especially with six kids and twins on the way. I even went back to school and got my GED, then went to college and graduated with a degree in Hospitality management. I am now a Homeowner with two growing businesses Soulful Kitchen LLC and Hope for the Hungry. Becoming an entrepreneur and homeowner put me a step closer to building and securing self sufficiency.