17,000+ Craven County residents may not have a full plate this Thanksgiving

Turkey, stuffing, casseroles and pies are all items that many Americans know will be on their table Thanksgiving Day, often in excess.

This year, more than 16.9% of Craven County residents will not be so sure.

Feeding America projected that 17,280 Craven County residents faced food insecurity in 2020 and 5,500 were children. Numbers were decreasing the past several years, however COVID-19 caused numbers to spike again.

The Eastern Region of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has seen need for food assistance increase by around 38% since the pandemic.

Nationwide, one in eight people are food insecure, amounting to 42 million Americans.

“Food insecurity is someone who is struggling to have enough financial resources to put meals on their table,” said George Young, eastern regional director of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. “So, they’re making choices: ‘how to stay in my household, how to pay my rent, do I buy new shoes for my child, do I repair my car to get to work, or do I buy food’?”

Food insecurity is separate from the idea of hunger and The U.S. Department of Agriculture defines it as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life.” Poverty also does not equate to food insecurity and it can be experienced above and below the poverty line.

The New Bern Branch of the food bank is located at 1702 Red Robin Lane and distributed close to five million pounds of food throughout its last fiscal year. Each day, it makes deliveries to food pantries throughout the region for people to receive food insecurity relief.

On Dec. 10, they are coordinating the News Channel 12 Share Your Christmas Food and Fund Drive from 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m. People can drop off food and monetary donations to the Piggly Wiggly Store at 1208 Simmons St.

Last year the event amounted to 172,000 meals for those struggling in the New Bern area.

Check and cash donations are accepted and can also be made online through the food bank’s website: foodbankcenc.org.

Young said unemployment is not the only cause of food insecurity. Many people that come through their food lines are employed and sometimes work multiple jobs, but still struggle to make ends meet.

Seniors also make up a large portion of those that are food insecure, having a spouse that recently passed and not wanting to go to nursing home yet and leave their residence.

“You’ll see seasonal people in the food line, you’ll see people coming to the food line regularly, or you may see people just coming once in a while,” Young said. “There’s every kind of combination of why people may be experiencing food insecurity.”

In the more rural areas of eastern North Carolina, food deserts contribute to a lack of fresh, nutritious foods. There are often no big chain grocery stores with fresh vegetables, meats, fruits or dairy available even to people who may have enough income to buy them.

The New Bern Branch of the food bank serves Carteret, Craven, Jones, Onslow and Pamlico County, where over 60,000 people face hunger.

“It’s pretty amazing how many people are struggling to put food on their table or stretch their household budget. I think we have some of the poorest counties in the state and if you drive into some of these communities, it’s pretty devastating,” Young said.

Living in a food insecure household affects much more than just what a person will or won’t eat. It’s a ripple effect throughout all aspects of a person’s life.

For children, a lack of nutritious food impacts their ability to stay awake in school and detracts from their education. The graduation rates of the current 5,500 food insecure Craven County children could be influenced.

At Vidant Medical Center, when it is discovered that a patient is food insecure, they use food as a prescription to help with heart trouble, low blood pressure and other ailments, connecting patients to their local pantry, Young s

“There’s tremendous ripple effects medically, mentally, financially, all across the board when people experience food insecurity,” Young said.

Food insecurity by the numbers, according to Feeding America

Craven County

• 2020: 17,280 individuals; 16.9% of county population

• 2019: 15,220 individuals; 14.9% of county population

• 2018: 15,460 individuals; 15% of county population

• 2017: 15,610 individuals; 15.1% of county population

• 2016: 16,060 individuals; 15.4% of county population

• 2015: 17,230 individuals; 16.5% of county population

2020 food insecurity in neighboring counties

• Carteret: 11,010 individuals; 15.9% of county population

• Jones: 1,900 individuals; 19.8% of county population

• Onslow: 33,960 individuals; 17.4% of county population

• Pamlico: 1,960 individuals; 15.5% of county population

Young said the best way to be involved in the fight against food insecurity right now is financial donations. Every dollar donated provides 5 meals, or $10 worth of food. Out of each dollar donated, 97 cents goes directly to meal programs or food distribution.

“Right now, the biggest need is financial support with the slowdown in the supply chain in the nation,” Young said. “We are finding ourselves in a position to have to go out and source food and pay for it so there’s enough to distribute to the community.”

Growth and Development Reporter Julia Masters can be reached at jmasters@gannett.com or 828-318-3108.

This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Craven County food bank thanksgiving food insecurities population