San Diego County leaders gathered Dec. 16 at Lauderbach Park Community Room to address how they are helping combat food insecurity in South Bay and throughout San Diego County.
The third and final part of a three-session series called the South Bay Hunger Relief Forum focused on simple issues surrounding hunger in the community and ways to improve food collection systems.
The United States Department of Agriculture defines food insecurity as a state in which consistent access to food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.
According to the San Diego Hunger Coalition, more than 145,000 South Bay residents or 36.5 percent have incomes less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. More than half of adults with incomes under that level are unable to afford enough food.
Anahid Brakke, executive director of the San Diego Hunger Coalition, said hunger affects about 485,00 people in the county or one in six people. Of those, about 35 percent of kids are food insecure.
San Diego Hunger Coalition’s 2014 data shows that in Chula Vista, nearly 37,000 people or 32 percent of the city’s residents are living under the federal poverty level.
National City has 23,674 people living below the federal poverty level, Brakke said.
Brakke said the San Diego Hunger Coalition provides assistance with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
They also assist with the summer time meals programs, which provide free lunch for students over the summer break.
Another effort by the San Diego Hunger Coalition is the Hunger Free San Diego, where the coalition gets meals from different programs.
Dean Sidelinger county of San Diego Child Health Medical officer, said one in five children in the county live in a household that deal with food insecurity.
He said food insecurity affects children in many ways.
“Children who are hungry do not do as well in school,” he said. “They are often absent more than children who are not hungry.”
Sidelinger also said children who are food insecure are more likely to have conduct problemssuch as fighting at school and stealing.
The city of Chula Vista recently launced its Healthy Chula Vista Initiative, which aims to provide with tools for a healthier lifestyle by working with a variety of agencies throughout the community to promote health an well-being in the city.
The new Healthy Chula Vista Advisory Commission sets policy for the Healthy Chula Vista Initiative.
