Following the Sept. 4 release of the USDA’s Annual Household Food Security 2023 Report, food banks statewide are discussing food insecurity data for California and analyzing trends that cross state borders, all of which point to sustained hunger and hardship.
It’s no different in Santa Barbara County, according to the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.
Nationwide, there is an ongoing hunger crisis, and in California food insecurity rates are similar to those seen during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
As of July 2024, 22% of California households are experiencing food insecurity, and for families with kids, that number jumps to 26% with deep disparities by race and ethnicity.
In the last year, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County served more than 215,000 people, marking a significant increase from the pre-pandemic normal of about 180,000 served annually.
The new number is on par with the highest level of need witnessed during the peak of COVID-19, the Foodbank reports.
According to United Ways California’s Real Cost Measure analysis, 42% of Santa Barbara County’s households do not make enough money to afford their basic needs.
Even more startling, 71% of households with small children struggle financially, and 8 in 10 homes with female heads of household earn below the real cost threshold of meeting their basic needs.
Additionally, more than 61% of students in Santa Barbara County are eligible for free or reduced price school meals.
This informs how the Foodbank addresses the needs of the community. Through the expansion of children’s nutrition programs, strategic partnerships to address language and trust barriers, and intentional food sourcing, the Foodbank is offering more services in more neighborhoods than ever before, with language-adaptive education, cooking demos, and cultural foods.
As they adapt services to meet the changing needs we witness across the county, support from the state, dedicated donors, and community partners remain crucial.
“Even though summer is usually a time when fewer people need help, we’re still seeing long lines and families coming early to get food,” said Jamie Diggs, Foodbank of Santa Barbara County partner services manager. “This shows how many people are struggling to get what they need.
“We’re asking the community to keep supporting us as we work to meet this ongoing demand.”
Food banks are rallying to raise awareness of this ongoing hunger crisis and advocating for continued state support, including:
· Maintaining CalFood funding at $60 million annually – a program that enables food banks to buy California grown and produced foods.
· Calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign the master plan to end hunger AB 1961 (Wicks) which is now on his desk.
“Food insecurity rates similar to that which we saw in the early months of the pandemic persist in California,” said Stacia Levenfeld, CEO of California Association of Food Banks.
“This data is an ever present call to action for food banks across the state to continue to serve an ongoing crisis, and calls our government leaders to sustain support for food banks while enacting systemic solutions that shorten their lines,” Levenfeld said.
“The data our team at California Association of Food Banks publishes each month provides a timely, accurate estimate of food insecurity in California,” she said.
Collectively, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County with its 40 partner food banks in the California Association of Food Banks, served more than 6 million Californians each month last year.