Hunger in the US: How disasters disrupt access to food

Hunger, or periods of severe food insecurity when people may go for days without eating because of lack of money, access to food or other resources, affects 14% of households and about 1 in 5 children in the U.S.

As food prices increase year after year while funding cuts continue to hit programs across the country, working families struggle to afford food daily. When a natural hazard or severe weather occurs, it exacerbates hunger by disrupting supply chains, reducing access to food from stores or restaurants, increasing pressures on support systems like food banks, and causing power outages that may prevent people from making their own food.

During this webinar, our speakers discussed the systemic causes of hunger, why hunger is a preventable disaster and how funders can reduce hunger in the U.S.

• Salaam Bhatti, Esq., SNAP Director, Food Research and Action Center
• Vincent Davis, Senior Director of Disaster Services, Feeding America
• Kavita Koppa, Co-Executive Director, Rural Advancement Foundation International (RAFI)

This webinar was co-sponsored by Giving Compass, Alliance Magazine, PEAK Grantmaking, National Voluntary Organizations Active in a Disaster, The Funders Network, Council on Foundations, Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders and United Philanthropy Forum.

Please see the slide deck to learn more and watch the webinar recording to learn more:

Photo: Food bank pantry shelves. Photo by Jacob McGowin on Unsplash