Community
BY AUDREY BAKER CONTRIBUTIONS BY JESSICA SHORTEN & KEVIN VU
Galveston County sees increase in food-insecure population
More than 58,000 people across Galveston County are facing food insecurity, according to a May report from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks and programs. By the numbers Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study provides estimates of local food insecurity and food costs for every county and congressional district, according to the report. In 2023—the latest year for which data are avail- able—the food insecurity rate in Galveston County stood at 16.4%, with more than 58,000 individuals struggling to nd adequate access to food. The percentage represents an increase from the previous year’s rate of 15.1%, data shows. Galveston County saw a lower rate of food-insecure individuals than the state in 2023. Only once since 2019 has the county exceeded the state’s rate, according to the data. In neighboring Brazoria County, approximately 14.2% of the population struggled with food insecurity in 2023, up from 12.9% the previous year. Between 2019 and 2023, the number of food-insecure individuals in the county increased by more than 13,000, according to the study. As de ned in the report, food insecurity occurs when a household cannot access enough food due to lack of money or other resources. Those counted as being food-insecure are the individuals who live in a food-insecure household. “This year’s study shows we still have work to do in creating a future where every child has access to the meals they need,” Melanie Hall, chief research and innovation o cer for Feeding America, said in the report.
The local impact Donnie VanAckeren, president and CEO of Galveston County Food Bank, says the food bank’s on-site pantry serves about 400 families per day. VanAckeren said the food bank’s nutritional education program has also been a ected by federal funding cuts. “The best value for food is the most nutritious— fresh produce—and so we really, really push hard for that, and it’s the best dollar value that you can get,” he said. “But a lot of people don’t understand how to cook that. … That’s where that element of the nutritional education part comes in.” Children were especially likely to struggle with access to food. In Brazoria and Galveston counties, food insecurity rates for individuals under the age of 18 reached 18.1% and 21.3%, respectively. The big picture As previously reported by Community Impact , President Donald Trump’s budget reconciliation bill, titled the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, was signed into law on July 4. The bill calls for cutting about $186 billion by 2034 from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is a program that provides food bene ts to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget to a ord essential foods. Currently, SNAP requires most people ages 16 to 59 to follow work rules, meaning a person must be working or partici- pating in a work program at least 20 hours per week, according to Texas Health and Human Services. Many individuals struggling with access to food may not qualify for SNAP bene ts. The study esti- mated that more than half of food-insecure people in Brazoria County in 2023 were not eligible.
Food insecurity rates over time
Galveston County
Texas
14.1% 14.1%
2019
14.1%
2020
13%
13.1%
2021
13.7%
15.1%
2022
16.4%
16.4%
2023
17.6%
0% 5% 10% 15% 20%
SOURCE: FEEDING AMERICA COMMUNITY IMPACT
“It just keeps growing. We’re signing up brand-new families every day that have never had to utilize a food bank. ... It’s
a tough economy.” DONNIE VANACKEREN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, GALVESTON COUNTY FOOD BANK
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