According to Vanderbilt University research, one in every three Tennessee families will be food insecure by 2021.
Defining food insecurity as “a lack of continuous access to enough food for an active, healthy life” and “a lack of financial resources for food at the household level,” the United States Department of Agriculture defines it as follows:
EBT and SNAP programs are becoming increasingly important as costs continue to rise and families struggle to stay up.
According to Signe Anderson of the Tennessee Justice Center, many families have difficulties when attempting to register for food assistance programs because of paperwork, lengthy phone conversations, and red tape.
It is underutilized, and we would like to see more families participate in these programs since they are extremely beneficial “Anderson expressed himself in this way: “I’m not a jerk.”
Several community organizations in Chattanooga are striving to address this developing problem.
The Chattanooga Area Food Bank offers food for 20 counties, and they estimate that there are 162,000 people in need in the area right now.
Since 2020, according to Jennifer Fritts, Community Engagement Director, there has been a 22 percent increase in the number of food-insecure families.
Almost anything that raises a family’s household budget will result in a reduction in their food budget “Fritts expressed himself.
Families are unable to access necessary resources due to a lack of knowledge and red tape from the government, despite the fact that the state’s need is higher than ever.
Families can receive assistance from counselors at the Food Bank in order to enroll in SNAP and EBT programs if they so choose.