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For sharing my thoughts with the class: 

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For sharing my thoughts with the class: 

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For exploring food insecurity in the U.S.

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For exploring food insecurity in the U.S.

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What is food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

What is food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

Food insecurity refers to USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

Select your state and county from our interactive map above and start learning more about your neighbors struggling with hunger and the food banks that serve them. Read more about the findings of Map the Meal Gap in our report briefs, access local food insecurity data or learn about our methodology.

How is program eligibility determined?
The map was updated on August 17th, 2020 to address an underlying discrepancy in the estimated number and percentage of children living in food-insecure households with incomes below and above 185% of the federal poverty level as of 2018. While this update does affect all counties, congressional districts and states, it does not affect the total number or percentage of children in food-insecure households, nor does it affect any of the estimates for the overall population.
Program eligibility is determined by income

The income bands shown reflect percentages of the federally established poverty line, which varies based on household size. These percentages are used to set eligibility thresholds for nutrition programs.

How is food insecurity related to poverty?

Although related, food insecurity and poverty are not the same. According to the USDA, 32% of food-insecure households live above 185% of the poverty line. Note below, however, that 185% of the poverty level is only $48,470 for a family of four. For families with medical expenses or who are located in areas with a high cost-of-living, it's easy to see how quickly resources can get drained. We know also from Hunger In America 2014 that 16% of households served by the Feeding America network are estimated to be food secure. This may be because they are able to access charitable food resources or participate in federal nutrition programs at times when their own resources are scarce.

What does it mean to live in poverty?

Poverty rates are provided as supplemental information to the food-insecurity rates. Poverty rates are determined by the number of members in a household and their annual income.

These rates do not vary from state to state (except in AK and HI), despite significant differences in cost-of-living.

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 12, January 17, 2020, pp. 3060-3061
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

Availability of government support for households varies based (in part) on the household income as it relates to the poverty level. The thresholds shown below apply to the national average; it is important to know that individual states can and have increased their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP, formerly the food stamps program) thresholds to up to 200% of the poverty level. This increases the number of people who are eligible for SNAP, the cornerstone of the federal nutrition safety net.

Food Insecure Individuals

*Due to rounding, totals may range from 99-101%

How do you calculate the dollars needed and the meal costs?

How do you calculate the dollars needed and the meal costs?

Using actual food sales data, Nielsen created a county-level multiplier to reflect the local cost of food. To develop the average cost of a meal, we use this multiplier to weight the national average amount spent on a meal by the food secure - $3.09.

We also use the county-level multiplier to weight the national average of additional money a food insecure person reports needing per week in order to meet their food needs - $17.24. To calculate the total additional money required to meet food needs in 2018, we multiply the weekly amount by the number of food insecure people in the selected geography, then by 52 weeks, and finally by 60% (7/12) - the average portion of the year in which a food insecure person experiences food insecurity.

What is child food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

What is child food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

Food insecurity refers to USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure children are those children living in households experiencing food insecurity.

Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

Select your state and county from our interactive map above and start learning more about the children struggling with hunger and the food banks that serve them.

Read more about the findings of Map the Meal Gap in our Report, access local food insecurity data tables by state or learn how we got this data.

Feeding America undertook Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity with the generous support of the Conagra Brands Foundation, based on Map the Meal Gap: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company.

How is program eligibility determined?
The map was updated on August 17th, 2020 to address an underlying discrepancy in the estimated number and percentage of children living in food-insecure households with incomes below and above 185% of the federal poverty level as of 2018. While this update does affect all counties, congressional districts and states, it does not affect the total number or percentage of children in food-insecure households, nor does it affect any of the estimates for the overall population.
Program eligibility is determined by income

The income bands shown reflect percentages of the federally established poverty line, which varies based on household size. These percentages are used to set eligibility thresholds for nutrition programs.

How is food insecurity related to poverty?

Although related, food insecurity and poverty are not the same. According to the USDA, 32% of food-insecure households live above 185% of the poverty line. Note below, however, that 185% of the poverty level is only $48,470 for a family of four. For families with medical expenses or who are located in areas with a high cost-of-living, it's easy to see how quickly resources can get drained. We know also from Hunger In America 2014 that 16% of households served by the Feeding America network are estimated to be food secure. This may be because they are able to access charitable food resources or participate in federal nutrition programs at times when their own resources are scarce.

What does it mean to live in poverty?

Poverty rates are provided as supplemental information to the food-insecurity rates. Poverty rates are determined by the number of members in a household and their annual income.

These rates do not vary from state to state (except in AK and HI), despite significant differences in cost-of-living.

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 12, January 17, 2020, pp. 3060-3061
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

Availability of government support for households varies based (in part) on the household income as it relates to the poverty level. The thresholds shown below apply to the national average; it is important to know that individual states can and have increased their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP, formerly the food stamps program) thresholds to up to 200% of the poverty level. This increases the number of people who are eligible for SNAP, the cornerstone of the federal nutrition safety net.

Food Insecure Individuals

*Due to rounding, totals may range from 99-101%

What are the implications of childhood food insecurity?

What are the implications of childhood food insecurity?

Although food insecurity is harmful to any individual, food insecurity is particularly devastating among children due to their increased vulnerability and the potential for long-term consequences. Several studies have demonstrated that food insecurity impacts cognitive development among young children and is linked to poorer school performance. Other data show the health consequences of food insecurity among children, including increased illness and higher associated health costs.

The structural foundation for cognitive functioning is laid in early childhood, creating the underlying circuitry on which more complex processes are built. This foundation can be greatly affected by food insecurity. Inadequate nutrition can permanently alter a child's brain architecture and stunt their intellectual capacity, affecting the child's learning, social interaction, and productivity. Children who do not receive what they need for strong, healthy brain development during early childhood may never recover their lost potential for cognitive growth and eventual contributions to society.*

* National Scientific Council on the Developing Child

What is food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

Food insecurity refers to USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

Select your state and county from our interactive map above and start learning more about your neighbors struggling with hunger and the food banks that serve them. Read more about the findings of Map the Meal Gap in our report briefs, access local food insecurity data or learn about our methodology.

The map was updated on August 17th, 2020 to address an underlying discrepancy in the estimated number and percentage of children living in food-insecure households with incomes below and above 185% of the federal poverty level as of 2018. While this update does affect all counties, congressional districts and states, it does not affect the total number or percentage of children in food-insecure households, nor does it affect any of the estimates for the overall population.
Program eligibility is determined by income

The income bands shown reflect percentages of the federally established poverty line, which varies based on household size. These percentages are used to set eligibility thresholds for nutrition programs.

How is food insecurity related to poverty?

Although related, food insecurity and poverty are not the same. According to the USDA, 32% of food-insecure households live above 185% of the poverty line. Note below, however, that 185% of the poverty level is only $48,470 for a family of four. For families with medical expenses or who are located in areas with a high cost-of-living, it's easy to see how quickly resources can get drained. We know also from Hunger In America 2014 that 16% of households served by the Feeding America network are estimated to be food secure. This may be because they are able to access charitable food resources or participate in federal nutrition programs at times when their own resources are scarce.

What does it mean to live in poverty?

Poverty rates are provided as supplemental information to the food-insecurity rates. Poverty rates are determined by the number of members in a household and their annual income.

These rates do not vary from state to state (except in AK and HI), despite significant differences in cost-of-living.

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 12, January 17, 2020, pp. 3060-3061
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

Availability of government support for households varies based (in part) on the household income as it relates to the poverty level. The thresholds shown below apply to the national average; it is important to know that individual states can and have increased their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP, formerly the food stamps program) thresholds to up to 200% of the poverty level. This increases the number of people who are eligible for SNAP, the cornerstone of the federal nutrition safety net.

Food Insecure Individuals

*Due to rounding, totals may range from 99-101%

How do you calculate the dollars needed and the meal costs?

Using actual food sales data, Nielsen created a county-level multiplier to reflect the local cost of food. To develop the average cost of a meal, we use this multiplier to weight the national average amount spent on a meal by the food secure - $3.09.

We also use the county-level multiplier to weight the national average of additional money a food insecure person reports needing per week in order to meet their food needs - $17.24. To calculate the total additional money required to meet food needs in 2018, we multiply the weekly amount by the number of food insecure people in the selected geography, then by 52 weeks, and finally by 60% (7/12) - the average portion of the year in which a food insecure person experiences food insecurity.

What is child food insecurity and what does it look like in America?

Food insecurity refers to USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food insecure children are those children living in households experiencing food insecurity.

Food insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household's need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

Select your state and county from our interactive map above and start learning more about the children struggling with hunger and the food banks that serve them.

Read more about the findings of Map the Meal Gap in our Report, access local food insecurity data tables by state or learn how we got this data.

Feeding America undertook Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity with the generous support of the Conagra Brands Foundation, based on Map the Meal Gap: Food Insecurity Estimates at the County Level supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company.

The map was updated on August 17th, 2020 to address an underlying discrepancy in the estimated number and percentage of children living in food-insecure households with incomes below and above 185% of the federal poverty level as of 2018. While this update does affect all counties, congressional districts and states, it does not affect the total number or percentage of children in food-insecure households, nor does it affect any of the estimates for the overall population.
Program eligibility is determined by income

The income bands shown reflect percentages of the federally established poverty line, which varies based on household size. These percentages are used to set eligibility thresholds for nutrition programs.

How is food insecurity related to poverty?

Although related, food insecurity and poverty are not the same. According to the USDA, 32% of food-insecure households live above 185% of the poverty line. Note below, however, that 185% of the poverty level is only $48,470 for a family of four. For families with medical expenses or who are located in areas with a high cost-of-living, it's easy to see how quickly resources can get drained. We know also from Hunger In America 2014 that 16% of households served by the Feeding America network are estimated to be food secure. This may be because they are able to access charitable food resources or participate in federal nutrition programs at times when their own resources are scarce.

What does it mean to live in poverty?

Poverty rates are provided as supplemental information to the food-insecurity rates. Poverty rates are determined by the number of members in a household and their annual income.

These rates do not vary from state to state (except in AK and HI), despite significant differences in cost-of-living.

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 85, No. 12, January 17, 2020, pp. 3060-3061
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

What is the safety net for people who are food insecure?

Availability of government support for households varies based (in part) on the household income as it relates to the poverty level. The thresholds shown below apply to the national average; it is important to know that individual states can and have increased their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program ( SNAP, formerly the food stamps program) thresholds to up to 200% of the poverty level. This increases the number of people who are eligible for SNAP, the cornerstone of the federal nutrition safety net.

Food Insecure Individuals

*Due to rounding, totals may range from 99-101%

What are the implications of childhood food insecurity?

Although food insecurity is harmful to any individual, food insecurity is particularly devastating among children due to their increased vulnerability and the potential for long-term consequences. Several studies have demonstrated that food insecurity impacts cognitive development among young children and is linked to poorer school performance. Other data show the health consequences of food insecurity among children, including increased illness and higher associated health costs.

The structural foundation for cognitive functioning is laid in early childhood, creating the underlying circuitry on which more complex processes are built. This foundation can be greatly affected by food insecurity. Inadequate nutrition can permanently alter a child's brain architecture and stunt their intellectual capacity, affecting the child's learning, social interaction, and productivity. Children who do not receive what they need for strong, healthy brain development during early childhood may never recover their lost potential for cognitive growth and eventual contributions to society.*

* National Scientific Council on the Developing Child

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What is food insecurity and what does it look like in America? Food insecurity refers to USDA's measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time.

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Google Slides: Online Slideshow Maker | Google Workspace

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Use Google Slides to create online slideshows. Make beautiful presentations together with secure sharing in real-time and from any device.

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Using Canva, you will artistically design a poster reflecting on how to best provide food relief to the Kalamazoo area.

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What does hunger look like? It's your job to capture a picture that depicts food insecurity in some way.

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ELA 3-5: Summative Assessment Description & Rubric

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Here you will find instructions and how you will be graded on the final project.

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Throughout the unit, we will be working on developing our creativity and innovation skills. Look here for my expectations for you throughout the unit.

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How can we as historians uncover and share stories about our community? How can we use data to reduce our families' impact on the environment? How can we use poetry to promote social justice in our community? Whether you're new to PBL, or you're a busy PBL teacher, our Project Designer gives you a shortcut to implementing high quality PBL in your classroom.

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Understanding the high cost of food helps us realize that many families struggle providing enough nutritional food.

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Listen Up! We have an expert coming to our class

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Listen Up! We have an expert coming to our class

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We're looking for ways we can affect hunger in our community. Our special guest from Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes has been providing food relief in Kalamazoo for years!

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Copyright © 2020 Kalamazoo Loaves & Fishes, all rights reserved.

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Add your questions to the Need to Know List

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Add your questions to the Need to Know List

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Below is the link to our Padlet dedicated to thinking about what we need to know to answer our driving question. Write in your own questions for each category: Hunger, Kalamazoo, Nutrition, & Food Relief.

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How can we affect hunger in our community?

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Content Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.1 “Refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.”

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.7 “Interpret information presented visually, orally, or quantitatively (e.g., in charts, graphs, diagrams, time lines, animations, or interactive elements on Web pages) and explain how the information contributes to an understanding of the text in which it appears.”

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.4 “Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience in an organized manner, using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.”

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.4.9 “Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.”

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.5

“Add audio recordings and visual displays to presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.”

Skill Standards:
Creative Communicator 6d - “Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences."

Global Collaborator 7d - “Students explore local and global issues and use collaborative technologies to work with others to investigate solutions.”