New study reveals Texas tops the nation in hunger crisis

Officials with the largest food banks in the region are officially addressing some startling new data released that was released this week.

At its annual Mayor Day event on Wednesday, the North Texas Food Bank unveiled the latest insights from Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap study.

According to the study, Texas now leads the nation in food insecurity, surpassing California.

Local food bank officials say Texas is grappling with a food insecurity rate of 16.4%, equating to nearly 5 million individuals facing hunger, a significant increase from 2021.

Alarmingly, over one-third of those affected are children.

The study also highlights the ongoing challenges within NTFB’s 13-county service area, ranking it as the nation's fourth-largest area of food insecurity.

Approximately 777,690 individuals, or 1 in 8 people, confront food insecurity within NTFB's service area, with children bearing a disproportionate burden. The rate of child food insecurity surged to 20.8%, reflecting a distressing rise from the previous year.

“While Texas boasts of being bigger in many aspects, leading the nation in food insecurity is not a badge of honor we can proudly wear,” said Trisha Cunningham, President and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank. “In the heart of North Texas, where the number of people facing hunger is greater than the populations of cities like Seattle or San Francisco, the statistic that strikes hardest is nearly 40% of those in need are children, and that is just unacceptable. Yet, amid these struggles, the North Texas Food Bank is committed to closing the hunger gap in North Texas through the dedication of generous supporters and steadfast partnerships."

An increase in food insecurity is being attributed to inflation, an increase in rent and insurance costs, pandemic-era relief programs coming to an end, and historically high food prices.

"If you're not involved in some of those communities where the pantries are, you're not seeing it because you're not seeing the long lines on TV anymore,” said Cunningham in an interview with NBC 5. “And I think that's where we can do a better job and why we really wanted to highlight this study –  is really to help our community understand the needs are continuing to go up. They're higher than the pandemic."

Other key findings include:

• Texas has a food insecurity rate of 16.4% or 1 in 6, with nearly 5 million people facing hunger, up from 13.7% in 2021.
• Texas has 1,697,870 children facing hunger with a food insecurity rate of 22.8% or 1 in 4, up from 18% in 2021.
• NTFB’s 13-county service area continues to have the fourth-highest number of people facing hunger in the nation, with a food insecurity rate of 14.2%, up from 11.9% in 2021.
• An estimated 777,690, or 1 in 8 people, face food insecurity in NTFB’s service area.
• NTFB has a child food insecurity rate of 20.8%, with 286,860 children, or 1 in 5, up from 15.8% in 2021.
• There continue to be disparities in who faces hunger. In the NTFB service area:
  - 1 in 4 (28%) Black persons are food insecure, up from 1 in 5 (22%) in 2021.
  - 1 in 5 (20%) Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 7 (14%) in 2021.
  - 1 in 11 (9%) White, non-Hispanic persons, up from 1 in 14 (7%) in 2021.
• The estimated annual meal gap for NTFB’s service area is more than 146 million, compared with nearly 113 million in 2021.
• In NTFB’s service area, 51% of those facing hunger have a family income under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) threshold.
• Map the Meal Gap data estimates the cost per meal for those living in NTFB’s service area is $3.83, up from $3.37 in 2021.
• Dallas County has 52% of NTFB’s food-insecure population, followed by Collin County, which has 17%; Denton County, which has 15%; and the remaining 10 counties, which have 16%.

NTFB highlighted its strategic plan to address the elevated need, which includes investing in the feeding partners, pantries and other entities that distribute the food provided by NTFB. NTFB awarded more than $6 million in grants to nearly 70 partner agencies last year, which helped community organizations to add or repair refrigeration, expand their food pantries, purchase trucks for the transportation of food, and establish or expand wraparound services such as vocational and financial literacy classes.

Other solutions that are currently in action include a focus on zip codes that have the most need, addressing underlying factors that lead to food insecurity and helping low-income families to apply for programs like SNAP.

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TAFB REACTS

Meantime, Tarrant Area Food Bank is also reacting to the new study.

“The rise in child hunger documented by the report substantiates what we have been witnessing in our service area.” said Julie Butner, President & CEO for the Tarrant Area Food Bank.  “Fortunately, we have been building our Ready To Learn program to open more school markets, providing children with the nutrition needed to thrive in class and over the summer vacation. “

With year-over-year budgets being down at TAFB to cover costs to purchase food and store/partner donations decreasing, the food bank is appealing to the public that it can supply its Ready to Learn in-school markets.

The food bank, in partnership with local districts such as Fort Worth ISD, has over 75 school markets serving families. The goal is to have over 100 school markets in place by the end of the year. 

For more information on getting involved with TAFB, click here.