USDA’s Household Food Insecurity Report reflects growing need in NH as 6.2% of residents experience food insecurity 

Manchester, N.H. – The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, is asking residents and businesses to act against hunger in the Granite State as food insecurity numbers are rising. According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Household Food Security Report for 2022, an estimated 6.2% of New Hampshire residents experienced food insecurity from 2020 to 2022. The data shows an increase from 2021, when the USDA estimated that 5.4% of New Hampshire residents experienced food insecurity, based on data collected from 2019 to 2021.

According to the USDA report, 44 million people are living in food-insecure households in the United States, including 13 million children. The report, released this fall, demonstrates about 10 million more people are food insecure now compared to 2021.

“While New Hampshire’s food insecurity numbers remain lower than the national average, we believe any increase means action is needed, especially as we enter the winter season,” says Eileen Liponis, Executive Director, New Hampshire Food Bank. “It is imperative we continue our work here at the New Hampshire Food Bank to ensure we are always working toward our goal of eliminating hunger in New Hampshire. We want to encourage all residents and businesses to participate in our programming and to continue to donate and volunteer through the holiday season and beyond.”

This winter the New Hampshire Food Bank is asking individuals and businesses to consider donating some of its “Most Needed Items” and to participate in its wide variety of programming and events, such as food drives happening throughout the state. Residents can also help support the Food Bank’s mission by making monetary donations, as the Food Bank is purchasing 39 percent of the food it distributes. For every $1 donated, 95 cents supports the Food Bank’s programming. Additionally, the New Hampshire Food Bank welcomes volunteers to support their efforts. In 2022, New Hampshire Food Bank volunteers contributed a combined 23,286 volunteer hours, which was the equivalent of 11 full-time employees.

The New Hampshire Food Bank not only distributes food statewide but also provides a wide array of programming and education to support those in need. The Food Bank’s Recipe for Success – Culinary Job Training Program is a no-cost, eight-week program, for people seeking employment or to improve their skills in the food service industry. The Food Bank also operates a production garden, generating close to 10,900 pounds of fresh produce for use in its Culinary Job Training Program and to provide to those experiencing food insecurity. The Food Bank also hosts mobile food pantries across the state, bringing nutritious food directly into local communities for those in need.

In addition to the Food Bank’s events and food distribution efforts, the New Hampshire Food Bank is partnering with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services to enhance outreach efforts to ensure those in need have access to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, a federal program designed to fight food insecurity by providing lower income families and households with funds to use toward food purchases.

The New Hampshire Food Bank distributes nutritious food and resources to New Hampshire residents in need. In 2022, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank procured and provided more than 16 million pounds of non-perishable food items, fresh produce, and meats to more than 400 nonprofit food agencies in all corners of New Hampshire.

Learn more about the New Hampshire Food Bank’s programming and services at nhfoodbank.org.

About the New Hampshire Food Bank
The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, has been working to relieve hunger in the Granite State since 1984. In 2022, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank efficiently procured and distributed more than 16 million pounds of food to people in need through more than 400 non-profit registered agencies. Agencies include food pantries, neighborhood centers, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after school programs and day care centers. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank, please visit www.nhfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.

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