Report: Food Insecurity on Rise in Cumberland County
In December the Campaign to Promote Food Security in Cumberland County released its comprehensive study Coalition Report 2010, which highlights the county’s rising food insecurity.
While Cumberland County is Maine’s most populous and affluent county—not typical indicators of high rates of food insecurity—the data reveals an increasing number of vulnerable individuals experiencing persistent unemployment, poverty, and hunger. The county has the largest gap between food resource need and provision in the state, and with rising demand, providers have had to modify services, including decreasing quantities of distributed food and having to turn away clients.
The report offers a series of recommendations to address the economics of food access, improve food support programs at the local, state, and federal levels, maximize the effectiveness of the emergency food distribution system, encourage alternative programs, increase the county’s capacity to respond to food access issues, and raise visibility around the issue of food security.
The Campaign to Promote Food Security is the county’s first collaborative initiative toward ensuring food access to the region’s vulnerable populations. Coalition members come from all aspects of food production, distribution, research, rescue, and resource support, and represent a variety of Maine businesses, nonprofits, and public agencies, including the USM Muskie School, TD Bank, Preble Street and the United Way.
Muskie’s staff support for the Campaign includes: Michael Brennan (Project Director), Julia Reddy (Research and Editorial Staff), Jean Bessette (Research Staff), Daniel Wallace (Graduate Student Intern), and Professor Mark Lapping (Consultant).
Coalition Report was featured in the Maine Public Radio story “Report: Hunger a ‘Hidden Crisis’ in Cumberland County,” the Portland Press Article “Even ‘rich’ area in Maine hit by hunger,” and the Lakes Region Weekly editorial “Homegrown ideas offer lessons for fight against hunger.”