Hunger Coalition reports high levels of food insecurity in Blaine County

McMahon says the high cost of living, coupled with low wage seasonal jobs, leaves a big chunk of people struggling to make ends meet.

HIT THOSE LIVING INBLAINE COUNTYHARD WHEN ITCOMES TO PUTTINGFOOD ON THE TABLE.CLOSE TO A THIRDOF ALL RESIDENTS INBLAINE COUNTY AREFOOD INSECURE.THOSE ARESHOCKING NUMBERS,BUT THE HUNGERCOALITION SAYS IT'SNO SURPRISE TOTHEM..IDAHO NEWS 6REPORTER NATASHAWILLIAMS EXPLORESWHY... AND WHAT'SBEING DONE TO DEALWITH IT.EVEN BEFORE THEPANDEMIC HIT... THEHUNGER COALITIONSAYS THEIRPROGRAMS FEEDNEARLY 20 PERCENTOF THE BLAINECOUNTY COMMUNITYEVERY YEAR.

BUTDATA SUGGEST THENUMBER OF THOSEACTUALLY IN NEED INTHE COUNTY ISMUCH HIGHER THANTHAT."THE UNITED WAYPUT OUT A SURVEYTHAT HAS SAIDACTUALLY ONE INTHREE PEOPLE INBLAINE COUNTY ARECONSIDERED FOODINSECURE, ONECRISIS AWAY."IT'S A STATISTIC THEHUNGER COALITIONSAYS MOST PEOPLEDON'T EXPECT."DEFINITELYSURPRISING TOMOST PEOPLE.

WHENTHEY THINK OFBLAINE COUNTYTHEY THINK OF THEAFFLUENCE, THEBEAUTIFULLANDSCAPES, THERESORT."BUT WITH THATCOMES A HIGH COSTOF LIVING."WE ACTUALLY HAVENOW THE FIFTH-HIGHEST FOODCOSTS IN AMERICA.HAILEY IS HOME TOTHE 9TH GREATESTWEALTH INEQUALITYIN THE NATION."SOMETHING THEHUNGER COALITIONSAYS LEAVES A BIGCHUNK OF PEOPLESTRUGGLING TOMAKE ENDS MEET."YOU MIGHT BEABOVE THE POVERTYLEVEL IN TERMS OFINCOME, BUT WHENIT COMES TO THECOST OF LIVINGYOU'RE STILLEXPERIENCINGHUNGER, FOODINSECURITYCONDITIONS.""AND THERE'S APREVALENCE OFLOW WAGESEASONAL JOBS TOHELP SUPPORT OURTOURIST ECONOMY"AT THE HEIGHT OFTHE PANDEMIC INBLAINE COUNTY...THE NEED WAS AT ALEVEL THE HUNGERCOALITION HADNEVER SEENBEFORE."YOU KNOW, AFTERTHE FIRSTREPORTED CASES INBLAINE COUNTY,TWO WEEKSFOLLOWING, WEWERE SERVINGDOUBLE THE PEOPLEWE WOULDNORMALLY SERVETHROUGH OUR FOODPANTRY.

THAT THIRDWEEK WE HAD SEENTRIPLE THE NUMBER,AND BY THE END OFTHE MONTH OFAPRIL, WE HAD FEDMORE PEOPLE INTHAT MONTH THANWE HAD FEDTHROUGH ALL OF2019 THROUGH OURFOOD PANTRY."THE HUNGERCOALITION SAYSRIGHT NOW THEY'RESERVING AROUNDDOUBLE THE PEOPLETHEY NORMALLYWOULD THROUGHTHEIR CURBSIDEFOOD PANTRY... BUTTHE GOOD NEWS IS...THE COMMUNITY HASBEEN VERYSUPPORTIVE OFHELPING."WITH THAT DEMANDFOR FOODINCREASE, THEAMOUNT OFGENEROSITY FROMOUR COMMUNITY,THE NUMBER OFPEOPLE STEPPINGUP AND GIVINGEVERYTHING THEYCAN TO SUPPORTTHEIR NEIGHBORSHAS DOUBLED,TRIPLED,QUADRUPLED WITHTHE NEED.

THAT'SBEEN A BEAUTIFULSILVER LINING WITHIT ALL."THE HUNGERCOALITION ISWORKING ON A NEWWAY TO ADDRESSTHE ROOTS OF FOODINSECURITY... BUTALSO TO REDUCETHE STIGMASURROUNDINGGETTING HELP."THAT KIND OFINSPIRED THIS NEWWAVE OFPROGRAMMINGUNDER THE NAMEBLOOM, WHICH ARETHESE SUPERHAPPY, HEALTHYCOMMUNITY-BUILDINGPROGRAMS STEEPEDIN GOOD FOOD ANDCONNECTING TOYOUR NEIGHBORFROM ALL WALKS OFLIFE."THE HUNGERCOALITION HAS ALSOBROKEN GROUND ONA NEW FACILITY THEYHOPE WILL CONTINUEALLOWING THEM TOSERVE THEIRCOMMUNITY.THE NEW FACILITY ISSCHEDULED TO BECOMPLETED EARLYNEXT YEAR.IF YOU'RE IN NEED...OR ARE INTERESTEDIN VOLUNTEERING...WE'LL HAVE A LINKFOR YOU ON OURWEBSITE... KSAW TVDOT COM.IN TWIN FALLS...NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6.