Destigmatizing Food Assistance

O3A staff participated in the Rural Development Initiative Clallam County Cohort where members created community-based videos to share with agencies and organizations focusing on reducing the stigma of using food banks, food pantries, Senior Nutrition, and other food assistance programs. By addressing stigmas, the community will become stronger and supportive. Normalizing food assistance services benefits the community by freeing up household funds to be spent on other budget items, building resiliency in families and stimulating the economy.

Food Insecurity

The United State Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life. Food insecurity can be a temporary or long-term situation.

USDA’s 2022 annual survey, respondents reported:

98 percent worried food would run out before they could afford to buy more.
97 percent recently purchased food wouldn’t last and they did could not afford to purchase more.
96 percent could not afford to eat balanced meals.
96 percent of adults cut the size of meals or skipped meals because there was not enough money for food; 87 percent reported this occurred in 3 or more months.
95 precent ate less than they felt they should due to not enough money for food.
65 percent had been hungry but did not eat because they could not afford enough food.
46 percent lost weight because they did not have enough money for food.
29 percent of adults did not eat for a whole day due to not enough money for food; 22 percent reported this occurred in 3 or more months.

All households without children classified as having very low food security reported at least 6 of these conditions, and most households with very low food security, 65 percent reported 7 or more food-insecure conditions. Food-insecure condition in households with children followed a similar pattern.

Rural Development Initiatives (RDI) is a nonprofit working to strengthen rural people, places, and economies in the Pacific Northwest. RDI’s flagship Rural Community Leadership program provides a foundation for vital rural communities by training a critical mass of connected leaders. Over the last 20 years, RDI has trained over 10,000 leaders in rural communities, connecting emerging and existing local leaders and building community collaboration, collective action, and fundamental skills. Rural Community Leadership participants gain a better understanding of themselves, their unique leadership skills, and the tools needed to be effective leaders in their communities and organizations.

RDI’s website: https://rdiinc.org/rural-community-leadership-program/

Back to Senior Nutrition Programs Info