TYLER, Texas — With cost increases in groceries, housing cost, healthcare, more families need help putting food on their kitchen table.
On Wednesday, Feeding America released new data showing the snapshot of hunger and food insecurity nationally and locally through Map the Meal Gap study. The East Texas Food Bank broke down what the numbers mean for its 26-county coverage area.
The national average went from 10 percent to above 13 percent. In East Texas, there was a jump from 14 percent to over 16 percent. This means one in six adults are living food insecure and one in four children across our area.
"Hunger, all of these issues, they’re not an individual organization's responsibility. It’s a community problem and a community can solve that," said Kim Morris, East Texas Food Bank chief impact officer. "The East Texas Food Bank, we work with partner agencies, and with organizations across our service area, but it really comes down to the people in those communities."
Morris added that food bank is in need of volunteers and donors to help fight hunger. Anyone interested in volunteering to fight hunger can visit easttexasfoodbank.org.