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(315) 724-6000
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524 Elizabeth Street, Utica NY 13501
Food Insecurity
About Hunger
What is Food Insecurity?
Food insecurity is a real condition that can result from hunger, it can be defined in a variety of ways:
- You don’t know where your next meal is coming from
- You don’t know if you have enough food to provide three meals a day for your family
- You don’t have reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food
- You skip your dinner meal so that your children will have enough to eat
The number of people in the United States struggling with food insecurity is astounding:
- 1 in 8 people struggle with hunger. This means that 41 million people in the United States do not have consistent access to enough nutritious food to lead a healthy life (Feeding America).
- 13 million children (1 in 6) in the United States face hunger (Feeding America)
- 4,152 children ages 5 to 17 in the Utica City School District live in families at poverty income levels (US Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates - 2017)
- 30.4% of the City of Utica’s population are determined to be at poverty level (2013-2017 American Community Survey on Poverty Status)
The impact of food insecurity includes:
- High levels of stress, anxiety and depression caused by worry over how to afford enough food
- Poor school performance and social interaction with peers by children who are hungry
- An even more challenging experience for the senior population that is limited by a fixed income and faced with increased health expenses, physical limitations and complex nutritional needs
- An increase in the consumption of high calorie foods with little nutritional value since they are more affordable. This can result in long-term health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity.
GET HELP
The Utica Food Pantry is here to help you.
GIVE HELP
Our volunteers define our heart and soul.
CONNECT
How can we help you?
Hours of Operation:
Monday, Wednesday & Thursday 11am – 1pm
The Utica Food Pantry was founded in 1982 when it incorporated as a 501(c) organization. As a private, nonprofit organization we depend entirely on donations from individuals, corporations, foundations and other strategic partners.
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