By Laura Schultz Pipis
Have you heard of the term, “food insecurity?”
According to the federal government, the definition of food insecurity is “the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources.” This is something the United Way takes seriously: Can people afford to eat?
According to a State of Michigan Food Security Council report, before the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 1.3 million Michiganders faced food insecurity, and now, an estimated 1.9 million individuals are food insecure in Michigan and 552,400 of them are children. This translates to a 38.2% increase in food insecurity in Michigan’s overall population, and for children, a 63.3% increase in food insecurity.