In order to address the problem of hunger, it is important that we first understand it. Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project to learn more about the face of hunger at the local community level. By understanding the population in need, communities and partners can better identify strategies for reaching the people who most need food assistance.
When seeking to meet the needs of food insecure individuals and families, it is not always easy to identify the need for food within each of our communities. Map the Meal Gap generates two types of community-level data: County-level food insecurity estimates by income categories; and an estimate of the food budget shortfall that food insecure individuals report they experience.
The goals of the Map the Meal Gap project have been focused on equipping communities with additional analytical tools to help understand the dynamics of food insecurity at the local level and to use this information to better inform discussions about how to respond to the need. The hope is to join with the many food banks, partner agencies, policy makers, business leaders, community activists and concerned citizens to use these tools to fully engage in the fight against hunger.
Check out the Map the Meal Gap Tool and find out more about your own community at www.feedingamerica.org/mapthegap
