Even before COVID-19 hit, too many Detroiters were unsure where their next meal was coming from. The 2019 Detroit Food Metrics report found that in 39 percent of Detroit households someone experienced food insecurity. Then the pandemic arrived and revealed the cracks in every social structure designed to keep people healthy and well.
The devastating effects of COVID-19 on the city of Detroit have been particularly harsh. An analysis done by Feeding America in October found that the rate of food insecurity for individuals in Michigan’s 13
th congressional district, which includes roughly half of the city of Detroit, is going up by 6 more percentage points. The projected rate is the highest of any U.S. congressional district. And the situation is almost as bad in the rest of Detroit.