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June is recognized as National Hunger Awareness Month, a time to raise critical awareness about the harsh realities many Americans face in obtaining sufficient nutritious food for their families—including here in Maine. Through our collective statewide efforts to address hunger in our local communities via Maine Credit Unions’ Campaign for Ending Hunger, our industry demonstrates commitment to ending food insecurity all year long.
Due to higher costs of living and federal funding cuts to programs that support hunger relief organizations, food banks and pantries are seeing an increase in demand for food assistance but are struggling to maintain an adequate supply. Earlier this year, Feeding America and Good Shepherd Food Bank released new information highlighting the severity of hunger in our communities:
- Food insecurity grew from 10.4% in 2020 to 13.8% in 2023 (191,920 people). This resulted in an estimated additional 52,510 people in Maine struggling to find room in their household budgets for food.
- All told, one in seven people in Maine experienced food insecurity in 2023, including one in five children (50,610).
Additionally, Good Shepherd Food Bank provided the following data regarding food insecure populations:
- Based on trends in the statewide hunger relief network, Good Shepherd Food Bank expects even higher rates of food insecurity as data from 2024 comes to light, which will reflect the first full year without pandemic-era SNAP benefits. The loss of these benefits, combined with sustained high costs for food, housing, and other essentials, continues to strain household budgets across Maine.
- A sampling of community food pantries reported more than a 20% increase in both visits and households served between 2023 and 2024. Some partners have shared even sharper increases anecdotally.
- New data released from Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study in May of 2024 confirms what people in Maine and the statewide hunger relief network have been experiencing over the past two years: increased food costs are contributing to higher rates of food insecurity.
- Black, Indigenous, and other households of color are disproportionately impacted by food insecurity, as well as people living alone and single-parent households predominantly led by women.
While funding is always needed to support ongoing work to put food into the hands of hungry Mainers, financial donations are not the only way to help end hunger. Beyond providing funds, volunteering time with a local hunger relief organization (such as food banks and pantries, school programs, community programs, soup kitchens, and more) makes an impact. In fact, most hunger relief organizations are primarily run on a volunteer basis. Similarly, you can also make a difference simply by sharing information with those in your circle on hunger and how to help.
Battling food insecurity is a group effort, and the League is grateful that every credit union in Maine dedicates funds and time to addressing this issue. The Campaign for Ending Hunger will continue serving hungry neighbors in need, this month and every month.