FOOD for THOUGHT
Collecting Basic Necessities to Help those in Need
What is the problem?
In this article, the statistics show that, in Georgia, 1 in 7.5 people turn to food pantries for their meals. In helping The Vickery House collect donations, we hope to reduce those numbers in the town of Dahlonega.
Study shows that food insecurities can cause a students’ overall health, well-being, and grades to fall. As college students, we are trying to raise awareness and donations for a local food pantry that caters especially to those students in need.
http://wihopelab.com/publications/Food%20Insecurity%20as%20a%20Student%20Issue.pdf
According to this article, there are about 4,350 people in the Lumpkin County area that are in poverty. These numbers are even higher in surrounding counties. With this being noted, there are nearly 1.78 million people in Georgia that are living in poverty.
https://www.gamountainfoodbank.org/understanding-hunger/
Members of low income families are more likely to experience high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression due to the lack of regular, healthy meals.
http://frac.org/obesity-health/low-income-food-insecure-people-vulnerable-poor-nutrition-obesity
If possible, planting vegetables and fruits can help reduce food insecurity. It is good to have a nice balance of fresh fruits and vegetables with the “no-so-healthy” entrees. It can also serve as a “snack.”
People facing hunger in Georgia are estimated to need about $781,043,000 per year to meet their food needs.
http://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/georgia/
This article describes a few ways that a community can help prevent hunger. This article is relevant because that is what our group is trying a accomplish in our little college community.
https://www.realmomnutrition.com/how-to-fight-hunger/
With education expenses rising, it is hard for some college students to afford enough food to sustain themselves. This article states that even with a job, some students still cannot afford food, housing, utilities, gas, and other expenses that they may need. It also mentions that among the high percentages of food insecurity, there are also 14% of college students that are homeless.
In this article, it states that 39% of people getting their meals at food pantries must decide between paying for food or paying for education expenses. College students make up a large population in Dahlonega, Georgia.
In this article, it explains that being “food insecure” doesn’t necessarily mean that families have no food, although that may be the case for some. Most families that have a low income, qualify for government help such as, food stamps or SNAP. Recently, the amount of help has decreased, this leads to running out of food a couple weeks after receiving the help. That’s where food pantries come into play. Also, some families turn to fast-food chains for “cheap” meals. This has increased the rate of obesity and health issues.
www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/hunger