Food insecurity in this country is unacceptable

Second Harvest Food Bank of North Central Ohio released a troubling study that found almost half of area residents struggling with hunger will not qualify for federal benefits that would help pay for food.

On May 7, Second Harvest shared the Map the Meal Gap 2018 report on food insecurity and the cost of food at the levels of counties and congressional districts.

The Map the Meal Gap 2018 uses data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and food price data and analysis provided by Nielsen, a global provider of information and insights.

The study is supported by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, ConAgra Brands Foundation and Nielsen.

The Map the Meal Gap study confirmed hunger exists in Second Harvest’s service area of Lorain, Erie, Huron and Crawford counties.

Julie Chase-Morefield, president and CEO of Second Harvest, posted the documents on the agency’s website.

Chase-Morefield said while Second Harvest’s core work is food distribution, the agency still has to be a voice for those families it serves.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is a cornerstone federal program helping working families make ends meet by stretching their grocery budgets.

Yet, nearly half of those people who are food insecure are ineligible for SNAP benefits and must rely only on services that Second Harvest provides.

No one wants to go hungry, but it is happening, right here in Second Harvest’s service area.

Overall, food insecurity in this region ranges from a low of 12.9 percent of the population in Huron County up to 14.3 percent in Crawford County.

Lorain County has the largest population overall — with more than 301,500 residents according to the 2010 Census — and has a 13.2 percent food insecurity rate.

Second Harvest said the child food insecurity rate in the four-county area is 20.5 percent, which means that 22,390 children are struggling with hunger.

This is disturbing, to say the least.

Also startling is 30 percent of those children likely are ineligible for federal nutrition assistance under the current program requirements.

The local data joins a growing pool of information and opinion about the potential effects of the federal 2018 Farm Bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in April.

Susan Bartosch, director of external affairs for Second Harvest, said when families need food but do not qualify for federal assistance, that puts added pressure on nonprofit groups like Second Harvest and its partner donors and charities to supply food for people in need.

Bartosch said families may qualify for help from Second Harvest’s food pantries if the families make up to 200 percent of the federal poverty income levels.

As an example, for a family of four, the federal poverty rate is about $24,000 annually.

Families may have members employed, but still face choices about how to spend their money.

Bartosch said the deal is, you’ve got to eat every day and there are people who are employed and underemployed.

And imagine a child trying to study when hungry.

In a “Top 10 Highlights” summary, the House Agriculture Committee said the Farm Bill will make 35 improvements to SNAP.

The summary said most notably, work requirements are strengthened, streamlined and paired with a variety of options to increase opportunities for SNAP recipients, including participating in a fully funded, guaranteed Employment & Training (E&T) slot.

The goal of the bill is to implement “a realistic and supportive workforce solution” for adults ages 18 to 59, with exemptions for caretakers of children younger than 6, those who are pregnant and those dealing with physical and mental disabilities.

Second Harvest said among Lorain, Erie, Huron and Crawford county residents struggling with hunger, 47 percent of them are not eligible for federal nutrition assistance under the current requirements.

Lorain County Commissioners Ted Kalo, Lori Kokoski and Matt Lundy said the county has 37,300 residents participating in SNAP and receiving a monthly benefit of $124.

No, that’s not a lot of money, but it does help.

In recognizing that hunger is a problem in Lorain County, in late March, the commissioners sent letters and resolutions to Ohio’s senators, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Rob Portman, urging the lawmakers to oppose plans to cut SNAP benefits or make other harmful changes to the program.

Lawmakers must make efforts to preserve programs that people rely on for food.

No citizen in the United State should go hungry.