By Tom Lally, Building Kentucky
Nearly half of our neighbors in Kentuckiana choose between paying for food and paying their utility bills, according to new research from Dare to Care Food Bank. The organization partnered with IQS Research for a multi-year project to better understand individuals who receive food from food pantries in its 13-county service area. While the research is ongoing, Dare to Care shared crucial new data from the study to inform the community and support the organization’s mission to provide pathways to end hunger.
62% of people say it typically takes 30 minutes or less to get to a food pantry.
The majority of respondents do not drive themselves to food pantries, instead most walk or rideshare with friends or family. This presents an opportunity for dialogue between Dare to Care and organizations such as TARC and others to address collaborative approaches to addressing root causes of hunger.
“TARC is taking major steps to improve our customer experience, with more reliable real-time locations for buses, enhanced audio and visual announcements on every TARC bus, and overall operations improvements,” TARC Executive Director Ozzy Gibson said. “This new data reminds us that transportation plays an important role in connecting with our neighbors facing food insecurity.”
65% of respondents eat less because there isn’t enough money for food.
“That confirms something we see every day,” Exodus Ministries Executive Director Shane Schlatter said. “We deliver food boxes to people that are homebound. And we’ve had seniors who are adding water to a can of soup for days just to survive.”
Majority of people feel positive about the food they receive, including fruits and vegetables.
“Access to nutritious food is key to improving health outcomes for people who are food insecure,” Norton Healthcare Dr. Monalisa Tailor said. “While Norton and Dare to Care are proud to provide prescriptive pantries, allowing doctors to address the health risks of hunger in addition to access to healthy food, this data shows additional opportunities for pathways to end hunger.”
42% of respondents say it is challenging to find a site when they need it.
“We know food insecurity is a complex issue that affects individuals and communities differently. That’s why we’re making great strides to improve equitable access to our services,” Dare to Care CEO Vincent James said. “This new data confirms a challenge we’re continuously working to address. We’ve implemented a new website that is more accessible and allows neighbors to find food on days and times that are convenient to them. We carefully consider new and expanded partners to ensure food is accessible to everyone, and we maintain an open dialogue to identify new opportunities and solutions for our neighbors.”
Dare to Care hosted a panel discussion with stakeholders and neighbors to share this new research, drive action, inform policy, and empower our community on Thursday, February 20.
This multi-year research project is made possible by support from the Humana Foundation. The foundation’s contributions also support access to food and information through Dare to Care’s new website, equitable approaches to serving neighbors, and ultimately elevating the voices of neighbors within the community.
As we enter the next phase of this research, we want to hear from more of our neighbors. If you’d like to participate in one of our focus groups, please click the link below. https://surveys.iqsresearch.com/s3/daretocarewave3.
