In its National Hunger Survey Report for 2023, Hunger Free America—a nonprofit combating hunger in the United States—has revealed alarming statistics, including that over 11% of Indiana’s population, equivalent to some 742,000 people, experienced food insecurity between 2020 and 2022.
Food insecurity, an official term recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture, describes not only a lack of sufficient food but also uncertainty about where one’s next meal will come from. This crisis affects more than 13% of Indiana’s children, approximately 8% of employed adults and around 7% of elderly residents.
Shockingly, the survey found a 36% surge in Hoosiers facing inadequate food from 2021 to 2023.
Hunger Free America attributes this jump, in part, to the expiration of the expanded Child Tax Credit, which provided additional financial support to Indiana families during the COVID-19 pandemic but expired in 2022. This situation is accompanied by a simultaneous rise in expenses for essentials such as rent, health care and fuel.
Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, emphasized the gravity of the situation, stating in a press release, “Our report demonstrates child and adult hunger are serious problems in rural, urban, and suburban areas of all 50 states. This report should be a jarring wake-up call for federal, state, and local leaders.”
The report from Hunger Free America also included nonparticipation rates for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Women Infants Children program (WIC), and school breakfast programs in Indiana.
In 2018, a full quarter of people eligible for SNAP were not receiving benefits. WIC faced a higher nonparticipation rate, with 39% of eligible individuals not receiving assistance in 2021. The school breakfast program had the highest nonparticipation rate, with 58% of children who received school lunch in Indiana not receiving school breakfast during the 2021-2022 school year.
“Just as no one should be surprised if drought increases when water is taken away, no one should be shocked that when the government takes away food, as well as money to buy food, hunger rises,” said Berg. “Our political leaders must act to raise wages and provide a strong safety net, so we can finally end U.S. hunger and ensure that all Americans have access to adequate, healthy food.”
Fred Glass, president and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank, the largest food bank in Indiana, stressed the importance of SNAP to TheStatehouseFile.com.
“SNAP is one of the best government support programs in the country. The money goes straight to people in need,” he said. “Report after report demonstrates that it’s a very effective way to help people in need with no waste or mismanagement. It’s a really excellent program.”
Glass also said that, despite its effectiveness, Indiana imposes restrictive eligibility criteria on SNAP compared to other states, limiting access for those in need. He suggests that policymakers consider aligning eligibility requirements with national standards, a move that would be budget neutral for the state given that SNAP is federally funded.
Glass’ encounters during his work at the food bank vividly depict the struggles faced by working families on the brink of hunger.
“The people we serve are working people. Some people can’t work because they’re disabled or they’re elderly or they’re children. But setting them aside, almost every household we serve has at least one if not more people working,” Glass said.
“These are people who are trying to make it and just can’t, and I think that sometimes that’s a myth that they’re not working. But they are and they deserve our support and training and a hand up.”
