Evanston Food Insecurity Initiative
(Special Note: The COVID-19 crisis has the potential to impact food security in Evanston. During this emergency, the Rotary Club of Evanston is available to assist community organizations in need. Please let us know how we can assist you by contacting us at rcevanston@gmail.com)A New Community Project
In 2019, the Rotary Club of Evanston identified food insecurity as a major focus of the club's fundraising and service efforts for the next several years.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In 2017, an estimated 1 in 8 Americans were food insecure – that’s 40 million Americans, including more than 12 million children.
Statistics show that despite Evanston's high standard of living and resources for its citizens, food insecurity exists in our community as well. The Rotary Club of Evanston is now in the process of developing action plans as it begins its work on this issue.
While hunger and food insecurity are closely related, they are distinct from one another. Hunger refers to a personal, physical sensation of discomfort, while food insecurity refers to a lack of available financial resources for food.
Food insecurity is a complex problem, impacted by many other issues – including affordable housing, social isolation, medical costs, and low wages. Poor access to healthy foods leads to poor dietary quality, and that leads to an increased risk of chronic diseases and conditions such as cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancer.
We have created a food insecurity backgrounder, which provides more information about this important topic; a media-coverage page; and a list of additional online information sources. You can also read more about the action steps the Rotary Club of Evanston is taking now.
Visit our website in the future to learn more about the club's efforts to promote food security for all in Evanston.