American Journal of Public Health · 2015 · 16 citations · 1 references
Public HealthNutritionPublic Health NutritionFood EconomicsFood PolicyFood SecurityFood AssistanceFood Consumption PatternsFood InsecurityFood Security PolicyHousehold Food InsecurityHousehold Food SecurityFood Assistance AccessFood Assistance ParticipationFood Assistance TargetingFood Assistance UtilizationFood Insecurity DeterminantsFood PantriesFood Pantry AccessFood Pantry Systems
We examined the correlation between trends in meals provided through food pantries and long-term unemployment from 2002 through 2012. The New York State Hunger Prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program provided about 192 million meals through food pantries in 2012-double the number before the Great Recession. Annual food pantry use was strongly correlated with long-term unemployment and remained on an upward trend from 2006 through 2012, even after the Great Recession had ended. These findings suggest that efforts to reduce hunger and food insecurity should continue to be priorities.
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