Food Insecurity

Customers shop at a grocery store in Mount Prospect, Ill., Friday, April 1, 2022. A USF survey found that 77 percent percent of respondents said inflation has affected their grocery spending.

Florida opts out of around $250 million in Federal summer food aid

Gabriella Paul

The newest food benefits program under the U.S. Department of Agriculture will officially launch in the summer of 2024. The deadline for states to sign up was Jan. 1.

Produce section in Seed to Table grocery store in Naples on April 7, 2022. The accessibility and affordability of fruits and vegetables impact the health of communities and highlights health inequities because of social determinants.

Two communities, one county: how social determinants impact food security

Katiuska Carrillo

One grocery store in a community of roughly 25,000 people. This community has a poverty rate of 32%. The majority of the population is either Black or Latino. The median household income is roughly $33,000 a year, just $7,000 above Florida’s federal poverty line.About 50 miles away in the same county, an affluent city bursts with life and luxury. The City of Naples has an average household income of $118,141 with a poverty rate of 8%.Social determinants of health are a major reason why people born in one part of Collier County are expected to live 15 years longer than those in other parts of the county, according to life expectancy estimates from the U.S. Census Tract and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Arlo Simonds harvests bananas at Pine Manor in Fort Myers, Florida, on November 19, 2021. The garden grows foods that remind the residents of home.

Pine Manor Garden provides food and opportunities for volunteers

Isabella Cummings

In the low-income neighborhood of Pine Manor, a community garden makes a big difference in helping residents access resources at a time when prices are high and supply chains are stretched.

A member of the Meals of Hope Staff loads the truck full of supplies. These will go to one of the many food pantries in Southwest Florida.

Meals of Hope deals with shortages of donations and volunteers

Joseph Hall

The holidays are a busy time for food distributors, even as they face challenges brought about by the pandemic. One organization is trying to feed the hungry in Southwest Florida and beyond, even as COVID is keeping volunteers at home.

SWFL Food Bank Preparing For Food Insecurity Uptick During COVID-19 Outbreak

Andrea Perdomo

As empty shelves become a more familiar sight during the COVID-19 outbreak, and more people are out of work due to social distancing, the Harry Chapin…

Lee County Schools Feeds Food Insecure Kids Over Summer Break

Rachel Iacovone

Now that summer break is upon us, food insecurity is hitting some Southwest Florida families especially hard. According to a recent United States…

September's 'Hunger Action Month' Sees Fresh Urgency after Hurricane Irma

Matthew F Smith

Feeding America, the nation's largest network of food banks, has spent September promoting awareness of Hunger Action Month while simultaneously…

SWFL Seniors Dropped from Federal Food Program due to State Agriculture Cuts

Matthew F Smith

Cuts by the Florida Department of Agriculture will eliminate a supplemental food program used by nearly 2,300 low income seniors in Lee, Collier and…

Fort Myers 'Global Garden' a Test Bed for Ending World Hunger

Matthew F Smith

A Southwest Florida group focused on spreading agricultural awareness and education around the globe is building a "global garden" test bed as part of its…

Food Pantries in SWFL Face Growing Demand

Matthew F Smith

Food pantries and other food security resources face growing demand across Southwest Florida. The Collier County Salvation Army says it's shelves are…