Food security has increasingly become an issue for many families across the country, as economic instability and other factors contribute to the rising costs of living. Catholic Charities in Mansfield is taking a more comprehensive approach to addressing the multifaceted challenges of food security. They provide a food bank that offers the needy the option to choose foods that suit their lifestyle and needs, in addition to support services such as housing and medical assistance, and financial and career workshops that can help break the cycle of poverty long-term.

With restaurants closing and people panic-buying groceries, food waste is inevitably going to rise. There are many initiatives going on throughout the United States to address this very issue. For example, nonprofit Rethink in New York City pays restaurant staff to create meals out of the surplus ingredients that other restaurants have, which are then sold to the public with a $3 donation. For individuals, there are even ways to shift your behavior with preserving and consuming the food you buy that will allow them to last longer and be eaten in entirety.

As a response to the way in which the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted food supply chains, especially in remote parts of the Navajo Nation, the new “Seeds and Sheep” program is mailing seeds to families so they can grow food for themselves and their community. The nonprofit running the program, Utah Diné Bikéyah, has connected with over 300 families so far. It is part of a larger trend of Native efforts to provide agricultural education, teach people to grow culturally relevant food, and reduce food insecurity.

Black-led coops are providing crucial access to grocery stores in food deserts like West Oakland, California. The Mandela Grocery Cooperative has used the worker co-op business model to create a connection with the community. The grocery store workers own a part of the company and function, not solely to earn a profit but to address the needs of the community.

When the lockdown first began, Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD) alleviated food insecurity by providing 18,000 meals and learning packets weekly to children as well as any Detroiter in need. Now students who are taking classes virtually can still receive meals in person. Anyone else in Detroit can also come by Monday to Thursday to pick up food to go. Food banks and pantries are also pivoting to meet the needs of the community during the pandemic.

While the USPS has seen a drastic decline in revenues and capacity in recent years due to growing competition from the private sector and social changes, First Class Meal is reimagining the role that this institution has to play: improving national access to healthy food. Using the existing USPS app to connect organizations and food banks that struggle to distribute donations, postal drivers out on their normal routes would pick up donations, deliver to food banks or pantries, and store food in post offices with excess capacity.

Women are given the tools and training needed to monetize skills they already have in order to reduce food insecurity. From the Middle East to Africa and Central America, skills such as hammock weaving, cooking, and farming are helping women reduce poverty and create better lives for their families and communities. Empowering women and girls results in powerful ripple effects.

Small businesses, such as Lively Run Goat Dairy, were able to quickly pivot during the initial chaos in the aftermath of pandemic shutdowns. The small dairy farm was able to salvage hundreds of pounds of milk that was set to be dumped by large industrial farms. It bought the milk with initial donations through GoFundMe and made cheese which was delivered free of charge to local food banks. Their nimble pivot to “strengthen distribution systems and feed their community” was even praised by the governor of NY who went on to create a project that connects farmers with food banks.

The ProMedica Toledo Hospital increases access to healthy food for low-income families through a novel kind of pharmacy. Patients receive free produce, recipes, and guidance from a dietician on how to treat and prevent diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure while improving eating habits. The food pharmacy serves over 800 people per month, and patients feel better mentally and physically.

Pittsburgh-based nonprofit 412 Food Rescue is saving food from landfills and feeding those in need by getting produce, with minor bruises or almost past sell-by dates, into the hands of food insecure people. The organization, which partners with government housing authorities and other sites like daycares, uses its Food Rescue Hero app to connect volunteer drivers with grocery stores and restaurants who have excess food to donate.

In the South Park neighborhood of Seattle, community efforts during the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in the creation of a system that battles food insecurity. Spearheaded by the community center, a local non-profit, and a local restaurant, the community has built and expanded a kind of coordinated mutual aid that helps residents maintain access to hot meals and pantry items.

Urban agriculture is providing residents of Milwaukee with a direct link to their food through programs that include urban farming, community gardens, and the knowledge needed to maintain personal gardens. Gardening has been linked to a healthier lifestyle and an improvement in diet. The programs intend to create a healthy knowledge of and relationship with food.

The 'food desert' term is a hot buzzword that suggests lack of access. Research on obesity and food availability in poor areas suggests that access must be considered, but only alongside additional factors like price, taste and education.

Asian cities are over-crowded and many residences are kitchenless, causing families with children to consume unhealthy food from the street vendors. Mercy Corps, a non-profit organization that advocates nutrition, has initiated some for-profit businesses in Jakarta that provide healthy food to underserved neighborhoods. The food carts are marketed at serving poor children a healthy meal.

In a rural town in Wisconsin, a pilot project that hinges on micro-agriculture is bringing fresh produce to residents who do not have easy access to healthy, affordable food. The project, which has now partnered with food banks and Feed America and expanded to 27 states, provides a "farm in a box" to community members who are interested in pursuing small-scale local farming.

Jubilee provides an oasis in a desert - a food desert that is. The community grocery store provides the only fresh food for miles around at competitive prices and makes an effort to cater to the local clientele, stocking items that have been requested and offering locals a discount. The much-needed grocer is the work of a local nonprofit, Mission Waco, which worked with the community to assess its need before raising funds from corporations and celebrities. The success of Jubilee serves as an example to food deserts across the state who have looked to it for a blueprint to serve their own communities.

New Jersey looks for those solutions being implemented successfully in other regions around the country to fight hunger in food deserts and poor neighborhoods, assessing what can be replicated in their local communities to address these issues.