Report on hunger: Food insecurity at its highest level in 20 years

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Food insecurity is skyrocketing across Rhode Island reaching numbers the state hasn’t seen since the Great Recession.

According to a new report released by the Rhode Island Community Bank, one in four households in the state are food insecure. That number is up more than 15% from previous years and is the highest level of food insecurity in 20 years.

“The lines at food pantries and the number of people coming for meals is higher than we’ve seen in a very, very long time,” Andrew Schiff, Food Bank CEO said. “Certainly 10 years, certainly since the Great Recession.”

Schiff says the report is startling. It shows that calls to United Way 211 hotline for food assistance spiked 77% from March to August with over 60,000 calls for help.

The report also proves that students at school are not eating enough. It states less than half of free and reduced-price meals were served to students compared to when schools were open.

The report also details health and economic disparities with 36% of black households and 40% of Latino households are food insecure.

“We’re the back up,” Schiff said. “We have to be there for folks through this long winter.”

While families were struggling at the beginning of the pandemic there was help. Federal funding like the CARES Act and increased SNAP benefits helped people stay afloat. Schiff says the problem we’re seeing now is that funding has stopped and the state is entering a second wave.

“All that help was really able to prevent widespread hunger,” Schiff said. “Now, the problem is all that emergency assistance is time limited and it’s running out.”

Schiff says food banks need help and Congress needs to act.

Senator Jack Reed says he’s hopeful Congress will be able to reach a decision soon on a new economic relief bill.

“This is a time of the year we should count our many blessings and think about what we can do to help others,” Senator Jack Reed said. “Wherever we are this Thanksgiving, we want everyone to have full plates and full hearts and do their part to keep each other safe.”

If you want to help, Schiff says you can call your legislators and push them to pass another COVID-19 relief bill. He also says food pantries need donations.

To view the 2020 Status Report on Hunger Confirmation, click here: 2020-RICFB-StatusReport-FINAL-web (1).