The North Texas Food Bank says the state now leads the nation in "food insecurity." The relief organization, Hunger America, now says 16.4% of Texans now face hunger, a greater percentage than California.
Hunger America's study says five million people in Texas face hunger, and more than one-third of those are children.
"People are back to work. Employment is up, but we just have many who are just not able to have their needs met because their bills are higher," says North Texas Food Bank Chief Executive Trisha Cunningham.
Cunningham says people in the lowest income brackets now spend an average of 40% of their income on rent and transportation and 30% on food.
"The needs are great, and it's really unacceptable for our neighbors that they face hunger," she says.
Cunningham says North Texas Food Bank gave 144 million meals last year, a five percent increase from 2022 and the most ever provided by the nonprofit.
The study identified ten zip codes in North Texas where at least 18% of people were considered "food insecure." She says identifying areas with the greatest need can help them set up relationships with other non-profits for "wrap-around services" to help people long-term.
"Then they can get to a place where they can start to see how they can resource other opportunities to provide food for themselves," says Crossroads Community Services Chief Executive Benaye Wadkins Chambers.
Wadkins Chambers says they work with people to learn why they are struggling and will help connect them with organizations that can help with things like medical assistance or job training.
She says the North Texas Food Bank can provide more nutritious food that may not be available to people in a "food desert" like southern Dallas, which has a lack of grocery stores. Wadkins Chambers says people who cannot afford healthy food are also unlikely to have the money for transportation to another place with more grocery stores.
"If I'm already having financial challenges, leaving my community to go access food is really not equitable to me and my family," she says.
Since 2021, North Texas Food Bank says the cost of groceries has increased an average of 21%, rent has increased seven percent, and insurance has increased 28%. The food bank says those increases come as median income has dropped two percent and government support provided during the pandemic has been running out.
"Government support for food assistance has waned, but the needs are continuing to go up," NTFB's Cunningham says. "Advocating for policies that really help us close that hunger gap is really going to be necessary for us to sustain this work."
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube