September is Hunger Awareness month. New numbers from the county show the broader hunger crisis:
1 in 4 San Diegans faces nutrition insecurity
1 in 3 children is at risk of hunger
400,000 people receive food assistance from the San Diego Food Bank on average each month
4.1 million additional meals are needed each month for San Diego County to be hunger-free
The Jacob’s and Cushman San Diego food bank serves about 400-thousand San Diegans every month and they say that number is going up.
“Hunger exists in San Diego in every single ZIP code,” said Julie Moore, the food bank’s director of community engagement.
The latest figures from the food bank show the scope of the problem: 97% of households struggling to make ends meet include at least one working adult.
“A lot of people have the misconception that those who need food are unemployed, and that’s just not the case,” Moore said.
Officials also emphasize that hunger is about more than having access to enough calories. Nutritional security includes the ability to consistently afford healthy, nutritious food.
The food bank distributed 50 million pounds of food last year, with fresh produce accounting for about half of that total.
The San Diego Hunger Coalition points to several factors contributing to food insecurity, including the high cost of living, rising gas prices, medical expenses and recent cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
For many people, the challenge is also one they may be reluctant to discuss.
“If we are in a group of three people, we can assume that one of us cannot afford food, and it’s not discussed because there is a stigma attached to not being able to put food on our tables,” said Alondra Alvarado with the San Diego Hunger Coalition.
Hunger Awareness Month aims to break down that stigma while making sure people know help is available.