Food Is Not a Privilege
What Is Food Insecurity?
The Chester County Food Bank broadly defines food insecurity as “a household that is without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food at any given time.” Food security, as you might imagine, is the opposite, “a household that has reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious and culturally appropriate food at any given time.” Though Chester County is the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania, food insecurity remains a serious issue for many of our residents and lies at the heart of CCFB’s mission to mobilize our community to ensure access to real, healthy food.
Food Security Initiatives
There are numerous reasons why a family may experience food insecurity, either for a few tight months or for years at a time. The situation may be related to unexpected unemployment, a sudden health crisis or disability, or simply a struggle to make ends meet.
Our approach to addressing food insecurity is to nurture a healthful and inclusive food environment that empowers food insecure families to grow, cook and eat beneficial foods and to offer opportunities for food-centered education and community engagement. Our programs include education and wellness programs such as Fresh2You Mobile Market, Seed to Supper Gardening Classes, and Eat Fresh Cooking Classes and FRESHstart Kitchen. Each program is designed to do our part to mediate some of the root causes of food insecurity as we build community and increase access to real, healthy food.
For further reading, check out CCFB’s Community Food Security Assessment.