Food security is defined by the USDA as “access by all people at all times to enough food for an active, healthy life.” At the Memphis Dream Center, we believe that being food secure helps children and adults show up as their best selves. Everyone deserves an opportunity to thrive and addressing food security is one of the ways to make this a reality. 

Food security measures both the availability of food and individuals’ ability to access it. Individuals and families who are food insecure face barriers pertaining to both the type and quality of food available to them, in a given moment in time. Although often seen as a quick solution to hunger, the food that is easiest and most affordable for individuals in our city to access may not be the healthiest or the best choice for consumption over a long period of time. Hunger is different from food insecurity. It is defined as a condition in which a person does not have the physical or financial capability to eat sufficient food to meet basic nutritional needs for a sustained period.

Both nationally and here in Memphis, food insecurity is a problem that is not new. Being food insecure can lead to unhealthy food choices and hunger, which puts individuals at risk for malnutrition- either overnutrition or undernutrition.  Malnutrition can lead to chronic health issues – namely, diabetes, which affects approximately 12% of people living in Shelby County, and coronary heart disease (CHD), which is the leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women.

In 2021, 10.2% of people in the U.S. stated that they had experienced hunger at some point during the previous 12 months. This is down from 11.1% in 2018. Nationally, the good news is that food insecurity seems to be decreasing and is temporary for most households.  As the national food insecurity statistic continues to decrease year after year, MDC wants to do our part to see those numbers decrease here in Shelby County.

Similar to the statistic that 10% of American households experienced food insecurity in 2021, 13% of the United States population experienced poverty. As shown above, 18% of people in Shelby County were considered to be impoverished in 2021. The number increases to 23% when looking solely at the city of Memphis.

It is important to note that hunger is closely linked to poverty, and has been for over 50 years. 

According to the 2022 Memphis Poverty Fact Sheet:

Currently, the cost of food is based on the “Thrifty Diet” published by the Department of Agriculture. Even though this thrifty diet is now $854.60 per month, the 2022 poverty threshold for a family of four is $27,750. According to the Orshansky method, it should be $30,765.60. 

Poverty statistics may be missing a large portion of the population who make less than $30,764 a year. 

How will households making more than the poverty threshold yet not more than what truly constitutes the ability to afford a healthy diet for everyone in their family fill in the gaps? 

 The Memphis Dream Center is standing in the gap in fresh, new ways.

Austin Peay Community Garden.

Tended by master gardener Angelo Jones and some of our Read2Lead after school program participants, this is the first urban farm of its kind in the neighborhood. Focusing on sustainable agriculture, the plan for the garden is to partner with Methodist North Hospital to provide produce for patients and hospital staff members at risk for diabetes, heart disease and food insecurity. Not only do we plan to help feed the families of the children in our programs, but we look to impact the Raleigh community at large. 

Door-step Deliveries. 

In addition to this project, our weekend food bag program has gotten a new partner. Last summer, DoorDash began delivering food bags to families at two of our FeedMemphis schools and has now expanded to 8 schools. As we continue to serve and deliver directly to other schools and community partners, we are impacting our community by casting an even wider net. Thanks to our partnership with DoorDash we are able to provide a food bag to each child under the age of 18 in the household regardless of what school they attend. In 2024, we are excited to give volunteers the opportunity to participate in door-step deliveries! 

Monthly Food Boxes. 

School age children aren’t the only ones we’ve delivered food to through our partners. Last year, Amazon and International Paper partnered with us and the Mid-South Food Bank to provide a monthly food box to individuals in our city who live within 30 minutes of our warehouse. That means vulnerable seniors and other individuals without children can also receive a box (provided by International Paper) packed by MDC volunteers full of Mid-South Food Bank food items ready to be prepared after AmazonFlex drivers drop them off to their homes or picked up at our monthly mobile distribution.

Pop Up Grocery Shop.

Our latest addition to the FeedMemphis initiative is our Pop Up Grocery Shop, set to begin in October of 2023. We will be hosting pre-registered families and individuals at our Austin Peay location in the gymnasium of our Memphis Dream Center building. Patrons will be able to choose from fresh, frozen and non-perishable items provided through partnerships with the Mid-South Food Bank and other partners, such as OneGenAway in Franklin, TN. 

The Memphis Dream Center is proud to provide a convenient, whole-family solution to the growing concern about food security in our community. It is our hope that our new and continuing partnerships provide a sense of dignity to those experiencing food insecurity in this season. 

References:

https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-u-s/key-statistics-graphics/#foodsecure 

https://www.memphis.edu/socialwork/research/2022_poverty_fact_sheet_web.pdf

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/80073/referencepd.png?v=3418

https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/charts/80075/share_insecure.png?v=7321.7