abundance
food security
We envision an abundant athens
Access to fresh, affordable food on a consistent basis is one of the fundamental necessities of life. Given the high proportion of families who are low income in our community, there is a commensurate share of families that struggle to be food secure. Food security is more complex than hunger. Hunger is a lack of adequate calorie intake. Food security includes hunger but also is about food access, food quality, and food culture. Athens Wellbeing Project latest findings show both hunger and food insecurity are on the rise. Also, many families that are eligible for help do not receive the help they need to be food secure.
Summer and Holiday Meal Gaps for Students
School children face major food insecurity during the summer months and on school holidays. There are informal grass roots efforts to feed these students, but a lack of coordination prevents the needs of these children from being met. In addition to the lack of coordination of these efforts, USDA policies and regulations can be a major constraint to solve the problem.
WIC & SNAP Enrollment
WIC and SNAP enrollment have faced significant increase in enrollment, but more is still needed. There are still physical barriers and recertification issues standing in the way of enrollment. Along with these barriers, COVID-19 pandemic changes made to enrollment that eased processes for people in need are now being changed back to pre-pandemic practices. DFCS and community partners are in need of help for both WIC and SNAP programs.
Missing Local Food Assistance Information
Local food assistance information is not currently wide spread to those in need of food assistance. The identification of food pantry and soup kitchen gaps, such as days, time, and location is needed in order to keep people facing food scarcity up to date on where to get their meals. This information needs to be updated in real time and made accessible to the public for clients and families in use.
Connecting and Supporting Local Food Partners
New local food partnerships and resources have been made available through the Neighborhood Leaders Program. Neighborhood Leaders and DFCS have created a local MoU that is creating strength between the two programs leading to more local food partners, however, more ways to navigate these benefits are needed. Envision Athens is continuing to convene partners in nutrition education, food security, and hunger.
Student Meal Gaps
School children face major food insecurity during the summer months and on school holidays. There are informal grass roots efforts to feed these students, but a lack of coordination prevents the needs of these children from being met. In addition to the lack of coordination of these efforts, USDA policies and regulations can be a major constraint to solve the problem.
WIC & SNAP Enrollment
WIC and SNAP enrollment have faced significant increase in enrollment, but more is still needed. There are still physical barriers and recertification issues standing in the way of enrollment. Along with these barriers, COVID-19 pandemic changes made to enrollment that eased processes for people in need are now being changed back to pre-pandemic practices. DFCS and community partners are in need of help for both WIC and SNAP programs.
Missing Food Assistance information
Local food assistance information is not currently wide spread to those in need of food assistance. The identification of food pantry and soup kitchen gaps, such as days, times, and location are needed in order to keep people facing food scarcity up to date on where to get their meals. This information needs to be updated in real time and made accessible to the public for clients and families in use.
Connecting and Supporting Local Food Partners
New local food partnerships and resources have been made available through the Neighborhood Leaders Program. Neighborhood Leaders and DFCS have created a local MoU that is creating strength between the two programs leading to more local food partners, however, more ways to navigate these benefits are needed. Envision Athens is continuing to convene partners in nutrition education, food security, and hunger.
