Food and Nutrition Security is a Health Issue We Can Address Together

By Ken Schellhase, M.D., Medical Director at Medica

We have a food crisis facing families and individuals driven by increased food costs and shortages of available nutritious foods. To make matters worse, we are seeing less support for those in need: food donations are down, monetary contributions to food distribution organizations have fallen and there are fewer volunteers giving their time at those organizations.? ?

In the Midwest, the situation is quite dire. The number of food-insecure people increased by more than 40% in several states from 2021 to 2022, a new report from Feed America finds. Other data suggests that coming out of the pandemic, 61% of Americans are living paycheck to paycheck. In some cases, people may be choosing rent over meals. According to Second Harvest Heartland, more than 7 million food shelf visits took place in Minnesota in 2023; that’s 2 million more than 2022, which was up another 2 million from the year prior.

We can’t allow this pace to continue.

With a little investment, everyone can help ensure people have access to nutritious food. The benefits go far beyond a meal. The National Institutes of Health reports that “food insecurity and lack of access to affordable nutritious food are associated with increased risk for multiple chronic health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, heart disease, mental health disorders, and other chronic diseases.” It further reports that for children living with food insecurity, there are negative consequences for their development and ability to learn in school.

There are many ways all of us can help address the food security crisis. One way is to donate food and supplies to local food pantries. Other opportunities include monetary donations and volunteering at food distribution organizations.

Donating food or money is straightforward. When doing your grocery shopping, simply buy a few extra non-perishable items to donate, such as canned soup, whole grain pasta or peanut butter. Some grocery stores collect food donations, and there typically are community food drives at businesses, churches and other organizations. Cash donations are just as welcome; some can even be done through payroll deductions. Volunteering time as an individual or organization provides much needed help and can be very rewarding.

These efforts are impactful. It takes just one pound of donated food to create a meal. According to Feeding America (a nationwide network of food banks), every dollar donated to a food bank results in 10 meals. And these meals typically are nutritious and can accommodate cultural preferences.

As a non-profit health plan, Medica is committed to supporting nutritional food programs for those in need. We fund food organizations throughout the Midwest, and our employees serve those who have the greatest need. At CAPI in Minnesota, we staff fresh produce events that serve anywhere from 90-135 families, with a large portion of them coming from multigenerational homes where there can be 8-10 people per residence. In Nebraska, we’re sponsoring programs like the Double Up Food Bucks program, which helps individuals and families in need bring home more healthy food by matching their SNAP (or food stamp) dollars spent on fresh fruits and veggies. And in Wisconsin, each month our employees run a food pantry for Triangle Community Ministry, a nonprofit that supports the needs of the 300+ people living in the Triangle Neighborhood, most of whom are challenged by chronic mental, emotional, physical, and/or developmental disabilities.

The need is great throughout our communities. Please consider joining us in the effort to sustain food and nutrition security and help our neighbors live healthier and less stressful lives.