Just four years ago in 2020, an estimated 17.7% of Worcester residents were considered to be food insecure. Now, that number has more than doubled, according to a recent report of the Worcester County Food Bank's Center on Food Equity, conducted by the Community Food Assessment in Worcester in 2023.
As of 2023, the percentage of food-insecure Worcester residents ranged from 11.2% to 38.1%. The Community Food Assessment surveyed Worcester residents who are food insecure about their experiences in accessing food from supermarkets, through federal nutrition assistance programs like SNAP and from local food pantries. According to the report, food insecurity has steadily been on the rise since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The survey's main participants were low-income residents and people living in temporary housing and found one of the main issues residents faced was the price of food rising due to inflation.
In order to combat this, Casey Burns, co-director of the Center on Food Equity, laid out several ways organizations can help people who are food insecure and emphasized the importance of outreach and accessibility.
"We need to make this robust so people really have a 'no wrong door' approach. No matter what organizations they are interfacing they can help direct people to the easiest way possible with SNAP," Burns said.
U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern added that advocacy is crucial when it comes to reducing food insecurity.
"Every city, every town in America has people that are food insecure," McGovern said. "We need to use the advocacy team we've developed to not only advocate for the expansion of benefits but to help encourage outreach and application assistance."
As far as advocacy goes, McGovern said "the stakes couldn't be higher." As a member of the Agriculture Committee, McGovern said the farm bill cuts nutrition and SNAP by $30 billion and prevents SNAP benefits from adjusting to specific nutrition standards over time.
Communication was a top request from participants in the survey, Burns noted. People looking for assistance often said there has been a lack of information about how to enroll in SNAP and other food assistance programs.
Misinformation and language inaccessibility are target areas, Burns said.
"We need to make sure food assistance program information is accessible," Burns said. "Whether that be language access or the way people access information, we need to be sure to target information and communication specific to populations."
In addition, McGovern said it is important for health care workers to understand the importance of nutrition and medically tailored meals. He also noted that transportation is a factor in accessing healthy food.
"We know that a major barrier to accessing food is transportation. Some of these things are easily solvable with a plan, like better bus routes and schedules," McGovern said. "What I appreciate about this report is it recognizes that fighting for food security is about more than just funding for SNAP. It includes transportation, health care and housing as important factors."
Due to the rising cost of groceries, finding affordable food for a family can be difficult, McGovern said. According to the survey, 67% of respondents said lower food prices would make it easier to access healthy food and fresh produce.
"I hope we can use today's conversations to craft specific plans for each of the priority areas identified and get those plans into action as soon as humanly possible," McGovern said. "We can end hunger in Worcester."
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