Food Insecurity (Repost from May/June 2025)

Food insecurity is the household-level challenge of not having reliable physical, social or economic access to nutritious food. According to Feeding America, roughly 14 percent of residents in Durham County—and nearly 19 percent of children—have experienced food insecurity in recent years. That means almost one in five kids may not know where their next meal is coming from. Approximately 85 percent of the families we welcome to FMF's emergency shelter are food insecure when they arrive.

Children experiencing food insecurity are especially vulnerable. When they don’t get enough to eat, they often struggle with concentration, energy, and growth. Research shows that food‑insecure kids tend to perform worse academically and face more behavior and health challenges—effects that can linger into adulthood. For parents, it can make necessary trade-offs between spending on housing, food, and healthcare constant stressors on stability.

When families arrive at FMF, we work in many ways to address food insecurity. We assist with SNAP and WIC applications, connect guests to local community food pantries and food distribution assistance, work with DINE to provide nutrition education to parents and children, and collaborate with partners such as Goodwill Industries of Eastern NC to provide grocery gift cards. We invite generous volunteers to serve meals to families before evening programming activities to make participation easier and enjoyable. FMF is also conscious of food insecurity when we make grant requests, especially for out-of-school programs (like summer camps and daycare) to ensure that kids have reliable meals when not in school.