FOOD SCARCITY
impact of food insecurity when work- ing with residents to help set them up with the consistent resources they need until they can transition to being self-supported again.” Meanwhile, between the 2014-15 and 2021-22 school years, the portion of Fort Bend ISD students who were considered economically disadvan- taged—which includes students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals—increased from 37.1% to 47.8%, per Texas Education Agency data. Schools are often the front lines for food-insecure children, said Mia Medina, program manager at No Kid Hungry Texas, a national campaign aimed at ending childhood hunger. “During the school year, kids can rely on school meal programs like break- fast, lunch and after-school meals, but when school is out, many of those meals disappear,” Medina said. “Sum- mer is the hungriest time for a lot of our Texas kids and teens. That means they miss out on a lot of the consistent nutri- tion that they’re used to or that their families have to stretch their budgets even further than they anticipated.” Since the pandemic began, Brian Greene, president and CEO of the Houston Food Bank, said those needs have been exacerbated as local food pantries were inundated with thou- sands of new clients almost overnight. “As soon as those closures and lay- offs hit, the lines went crazy long— longer than we’ve ever seen, like even after Hurricane Harvey,” Greene said. The Sugar Land, Missouri City and Stafford area is home to more than a dozen food distribution partners through the Houston Food Bank—all of which had to quickly pivot to meet the greater demand while enforcing social distancing with fewer volunteers. The Houston Food Bank loca- tions operating in Fort Bend County began hosting mobile food distribu- tions and delivering food to meet the increased need. Additionally, contact- less drive-thru distribution became commonplace, which Greene said had unexpected benefits. “A lot of those working households did not feel comfortable going to their local church pantry because they would see their neighbors and they’d feel like they were being judged,” Greene said. “With curbside distribu- tion, … you drive through, pop your trunk and leave. … So we were actually serving households that weren’t com- ing to us before.” Although unemployment claims have since declined, local food bank
Food scarcity in the Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area peaked at 21.4% between Oct. 28-Nov. 9, 2020, according to U.S. Census Bureau Household Pulse Survey data. Throughout the survey process, data has been collected and disseminated on varying schedules, including on a weekly basis and every two weeks.
Food scarcity is defined as the percentage of adults in households in which there was either sometimes or often not enough to eat in the last seven days.
SOURCE: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU HOUSEHOLD PULSE SURVEY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
21.4%
25%
13.9%
20%
10.9%
15%
10%
5%
0%
May 2020
2021
2022
2020 to 4.3% in May 2022, according to Texas Workforce Commission data. However, local food bank leaders said ongoing supply chain challenges and inflation have continued to drive the demand for food assistance while mak- ing it harder to meet those needs. Pre-existing conditions Food insecurity has long been a chal- lenge in Fort Bend County even prior to the pandemic, local leaders said. How- ever, a partnership between the county and the Houston Food Bank has helped assess the local need, said Shweta Arora, the county’s health communica- tions specialist, via email. “[Fort Bend County Health and Human Services] has partnered with the Houston Food Bank through col- laborations with our community part- ners over the years,” she said. “We will continue to partner with the Food Bank through various outreach activities.” While details of the collabora- tion with the social services division are being finalized, the relationship between the Houston Food Bank and Fort Bend County is long standing— with FBCHHS bringing a history of serving vulnerable populations in Fort Bend County. FBCHHS can provide food assis- tance, emergency shelter and any temporary relief people need until a long-term solution is identified, Arora said. Additionally, the county can help connect residents to food distributions. “FBCHHS provides an array of ser- vices, either directly or through col- laborative efforts with partnering organizations,” Arora said via email. “We take into consideration the entire
MAPPING THE MEAL GAP
The Sugar Land, Missouri City and Stafford area is home to more than a dozen food distribution partners through the Houston Food Bank.
2020 median annual income
77478
$97,639
77498
$86,934
77489
90
610
U.S. median annual income
$67,431
99 TOLL
59
$64,994
6
77479
$139,294
77459
Houston Food Bank partner
$118,130
Houston Food Bank To find help: call 832-369-9390 or visit www.houstonfoodbank. org/find-help
N
$63,826 Texas median annual income
N
To donate: visit www houstonfoodbank.org/ ways-to-give
To volunteer: call 713-547-8604 or visit www.houstonfoodbank. org/ways-to-give/give-time
SOURCES: U.S. CENSUS BUREAU AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY 2020 5-YEAR ESTIMATES, HOUSTON FOOD BANK/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
works with the Houston Food Bank. “Prior to the pandemic, we really saw mostly families from the Rich- mond and Rosenberg area, but ... as the need grew, we have really seen a lot more people traveling from farther out ... from basically the entire Fort Bend County area.” The Houston metro’s unemploy- ment rate dropped from 13.3% in April
CONTINUED FROM 1
Survey, local food scarcity peaked at 21.4% and has since fluctuated, dropping to 14.2% between June 1 through June 13. “With inflation, with the gas prices, we’re seeing a rising increase in the number of families who come out to us,” said Shayne Baker, a food pantry coordinator at Catholic Charities, which
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COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER • COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
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