How New Executive Orders Will Help The Hungry In Harford County
HARFORD COUNTY, MD — President Joe Biden signed a new batch of executive orders Friday, one of which specifically aims to curb pandemic-induced hunger for millions of Americans in states including Maryland.
In 2020, record-setting unemployment and sudden health care expenses due to the pandemic caused a dramatic spike in the number of hungry Americans. Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, originally estimated the number of people experiencing food insecurity in the United States would swell to 50 million by the end of the year.
One of the two latest orders from the White House hopes to provide much-needed relief to those facing the unprecedented hunger crisis.
The new executive order from Biden calls for the following:
Increase the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) program by 15 percent, according to a Forbes report. The program currently allows low-income families to receive up to $5.70 per child for each day of school meals missed due to COVID-related closures. The order would give a family of three children more than $100 in extra benefits every two months, officials told the Washington Post.
Expand eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, more commonly known as food stamps, which provides funds for low-income families to buy food. The expansion would help the program reach an additional 12 million people, Forbes reported.
"The American people can't afford to wait," Brian Deese, the National Economic Council director, said during a Friday news conference. "And so many are hanging by a thread. They need help, and we are committed to doing everything we can to provide that help as quickly as possible."
Addressing the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Thrifty Food Plan, which is the basis for determining SNAP benefits, is among the most significant changes included in Friday's order, Lisa Davis, senior vice president of Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign, told The Washington Post.
Current metrics used to determine benefit amounts are out of date and don't provide an accurate assessment of the economic realities most struggling households face, she added. Friday's order will ask the USDA to consider beginning the process of revising the Thrifty Food Plan to better reflect the modern cost of a healthy basic diet.
Feeding American on Friday applauded the moves by Biden's administration.
"We are heartened by the president's quick first steps to making that commitment a reality. The pandemic and economic downturn have made it harder to ensure families have enough to eat," the organization said in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to work with the Biden Administration to address the hunger crisis in the United States."
The second executive order signed by Biden on Friday calls for the Office of Personnel Management to develop recommendations to pay more federal employees at least $15 per hour.
Though national food insecurity levels were at a 20-year low in 2019, according to data compiled by Feeding America, 35 million people — including more than 10 million children — still lived in food-insecure households. That number swelled in 2020 and was expected to reach 50 million by the end of the year.
Thankfully, coronavirus-worsened food insecurity hasn't risen to the 50 million mark Craig Gunderson, a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign economist, originally projected — largely because of congressional relief packages and an unemployment rate that didn't surge as high as first feared.
"But 50 million people is still a big number," he told Patch.
Still, food insecurity isn't a new problem in Harford County.
Approximately 9.3 percent of people in Harford County were considered food insecure before than pandemic, according to Feeding America. The continuing economic fallout has increased that number to 12.3 percent who are on the brink of hunger in Harford County.
Feeding America serves 200 member food banks that serve and supply 60,000 food pantries, kitchens and meal programs around the country, including Harford County.
The Maryland Food Bank, a hub that distributes food to community organizations and food pantries around the state, has seen an increase in those seeking food.
"Because of the pandemic, we're seeing more need for food assistance," according to Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Carmen Del Guercio. In September, the food bank reported it distributed almost 4.6 million pounds of food, a 70 percent increase compared with September 2019, when it gave away 2.7 million pounds of food.
Feeding America says that 80 percent of its food banks — or 4 in 5 — are serving more people than they were at the same time last year. With the pandemic worsening during the holiday season, many people who never before worried about how they'd pay for a holiday meal are turning to food banks for the first time.
From the beginning of the pandemic in March, Feeding America distributed 4.2 million meals — enough to provide every U.S. resident with breakfast, lunch and dinner for just over four days.
In the first four months of the pandemic, 4 in 10 people were first-time visitors to food banks, according to Feeding America.
If you're among those struggling to find enough food — or if you want to volunteer — here are some resources here in Harford County:
Bel Air UMC Emergency Pantry, 21 Linwood Ave., Bel Air, MD 21014. Drive-thru program from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the third Saturday of every month. Make sure the trunk is empty. Soup kitchen operates from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Wednesday.Centre United Methodist Church, 2409 Rocks Rd, Forest Hill, MD 21050. Food pantry is open 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays.Harford Community Action Agency, 1321-B Woodbridge Station Way, Edgewood, MD 21040. Those who meet 200 percent poverty guidelines can pick up once a month from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday; and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday.Oak Grove Baptist Church, 2106 Churchville Rd., Bel Air, MD 21015. Open 9 to 11 a.m. every third Saturday. Stay in your car.Salvation Army, 300 Seneca Ave Havre de Grace, MD 21078. Call 410-939-3535 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mondays, leaving a message with a name, county, number of people in the family and reason for food need. The Salvation Army will call back with an appointment.Saint Johns Cupboard, 114 N Union Ave, Havre de Grace, MD 21078. Open every Friday from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.St. Matthew Lutheran Church, 1200 E Churchville Rd., Bel Air, MD 21014. Open Thursdays 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Fridays 10:30 a.m. to noon. For assistance at other times, call the church office at 410-838-3178 or e-mail office@smlc.org. Participants must show photo identification and are eligible for help once every 30 days.Tabitha's House, 112-D Connolly Rd., Fallston, MD 21047. Call 410-877-9730 to schedule an appointment in advance; open 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Once clients arrive, they are asked to remain in their vehicles, and food will be brought to them.Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1100 Philadelphia Rd., Joppa, MD 21085. Open 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays; 3:30 to 5 p.m. Thursdays; and 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturdays. Sunday evening suppers don't just nourish the body.
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"The Impact of Coronavirus On Food Insecurity"
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Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2020, more than 50 million Americans will not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.
This article originally appeared on the Havre de Grace Patch
