Overview
Despite large-scale government programs, millions of Americans in the U.S. experience food insecurity: a lack of access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In addition, many people do not qualify for federally funded food programs and need to rely on informal programs such as those offered through the network of Feeding America, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In Decatur, Illinois, recent cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the departure of several large corporations may be straining local resources to meet increasing demands for food in the community. The proposed study sought to learn more about the needs of this community by conducting in-depth interviews with community stakeholders and using census-tract-level "Map the Meal Gap" information so that the city was better equipped to develop effective strategies to fight hunger. The project enabled community stakeholders to better develop effective strategies to fight hunger in their community.
Research Team
- Barbara Fiese, Ph.D., Professor, Human Development and Family Studies
- Craig Gundersen, Ph.D., Professor, Baylor Collaborative on Hunger and Poverty, Baylor University
- Brenda Koester, MS, Associate Director, Center for Social & Behavioral Science
Contact:
Brenda Koester
217-244-6486; bkoester@illinois.edu
Funding
This research was funded, in part, by a grant from Feeding America thanks to the generosity of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.