Nourishing Our Community: Local Organizations Lead the Fight against Food Insecurity

By Sai Anish Komma, Diya Mool, and Torry Li

“Just this year… we have 13 million dollars worth of equipment, repairs and upgrades that need to happen. And $0 spent on it…” voices Linden Thayer, assistant director of the Food Planning System at Durham Public Schools (DPS). Despite significant financial challenges faced by DPS and similar organizations in recent years, these food service programs are vital, as the Covid-19 pandemic heightened the importance of auxiliary food sources in providing for community needs.

In 2022, more than 44 million people in the US, including 13 million children, lived in food-insecure households. The USDA defines food insecurity as the lack of access to safe and nutritious food. North Carolina alone has over 1.2 million food-insecure residents, accounting for roughly 11.8% of its population. These numbers are even more alarming among minority groups, with food insecurity rates ranging from 20% to 25% among Black, Native American, and Latino populations.

While food assistance programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) are designed to reduce disparities in access to nutritious food, numerous issues hinder their effectiveness. Families with incomes just above the eligibility threshold receive no federal assistance. Furthermore, only 85% of SNAP-eligible families and 58% of WIC-eligible families participate in these programs. Proposed cuts to the Farm Bill in 2024 could reduce funding by $30 billion, exacerbating food insecurity and placing further burden on local organizations to feed their communities.

One of those organizations in North Carolina is DPS Nutrition Services. DPS is committed to providing nutritious meals to students in the district, preparing most of its food from scratch, sourcing it regionally, and ensuring meals are culturally appropriate. Students benefit from free breakfast and lunch, designed to support their well-being and academic performance (see image). Community members may support DPS through donations, advocating for policy, and by participating in monthly meetings hosted by Ms. Thayer.

One of the most significant challenges, Thayer says, is providing quality food throughout the summer. DPS requires that students are accompanied by a legal guardian to food sites, preventing some children from accessing their services. Additionally, DPS struggles with limited government funding and community support. 

Although they face challenges, DPS still aims to make improvements to its programs using a community-oriented approach. DPS plans to create a student council, empowering students to make healthy choices by involving them in food sourcing and menu planning.

Additionally, DPS aims to redesign their high school menus to improve nutritional value. 

Schools aren’t the only locations where local organizations are stepping in. Much like DPS is committed to reducing food insecurity, PORCH, based in Chapel Hill, plays a crucial role in providing meals. For instance, their Food for Families program supplies households with monthly food packages consisting of 2 dozen eggs, a gallon of milk, and 20 pounds of produce, alongside non-perishable items. PORCH also caters to diverse dietary needs by offering halal and other nutritional options.

Beyond catering to individual needs, PORCH also includes foods from the cultural backgrounds of their community members. Sofia Edelman, the Volunteer and Communications Manager at PORCH, stresses the importance of PORCH’s mission to provide culturally sensitive produce. “A large portion of our participating families are refugees from Burma,” she says, so PORCH partners with Transplanting Traditions to give Burmese families the ability to enjoy food from their culture (see image), like water gourd and pennywort juice. 

Despite PORCH's community-driven model, they too face challenges in reaching their goals. Edelman explains that PORCH primarily receives food through donations, so the continuous growth of the PORCH community has strained supply, leading to increased out-of-pocket expenditures to meet community needs. To mitigate this issue, PORCH has strengthened their partnerships with larger food banks; an ongoing collaboration with the Food Bank of Central and Eastern Carolina has provided PORCH with both non-perishable foods and fresh produce to serve community members. 

Unfortunately, food insecurity persists. Although organizations like DPS and PORCH help bridge the gap, they face challenges to meet the rising need for food, especially due to limited funding and sourcing. Ultimately, it is up to community members to step in, providing time, resources, and food to help these organizations thrive.