MONROE — According to recent data gathered by nonprofit Feeding America, children in Green County are more likely to face hunger than the overall national population.
The report was released by Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and cited the Map the Meal Gap 2019 system, which is the only system that provides food insecurity data at a local level.
Results released by Second Harvest in May show that food insecurity — or the state of not having reliable access to enough nutritionally valuable food at an affordable price — sits at a rate of 8.2%, per 2017 figures. For children, the rate is 14.6%, according to the statement by Second Harvest.
Map data is compiled through responses from insecure households as part of the current population survey questions regarding food budget shortfalls, the cost-of-food index within an area and the national average meal cost.
In Green County, the data shows that the average meal cost is $2.68. The study found that roughly 3,020 people are food insecure throughout the county. Residents who are above the 200% poverty threshold make up 32% of the population while 68% falls below. That means that more than 30% of people struggling to afford groceries are likely ineligible for any type of government assistance to do so, leaving them to rely on donations from local food pantries.
In a statement, Feeding America Chief Executive Officer Claire Babineaux-Fontenot said part of the solution for food insecurity is to contact elected officials, like members of Congress, and urge support for Child Nutrition Reauthorization legislation.
According to the map, Lafayette County has an average meal cost of $2.82 but has only half the food budget shortfall amongst residents in comparison to Green County. However, the food insecurity rate for the overall population is 8.3% and 79% of people who live there fall below the 200% poverty line threshold. The food insecurity rate for the child population is also worse in Lafayette County, reaching 15.3% in comparison to Green County, though the number of food insecure children only totals 640.
Second Harvest noted in its release that its service area sees more food insecurity than other portions of the United States. Rock and Grant County also have child food insecurity rates which exceed 16% and Rock County, while maintaining slightly more than 10% in overall food insecurity, has a 17.9% rate of food insecurity in children and a total of 6,830 children dealing with it.
There are a number of programs implemented by the School District of Monroe and charitable groups and individuals throughout Green County attempting to ensure young people have reliable access to food.
One such program is Backpack Buddies, which discretely sends children home with a pack of food they can easily make without the help of an adult. The program was implemented in October 2015 after adults noticed some students would save portions of their meals at school to eat later when they were at their homes. The names of the children are not made public, but every Friday they pick up a bag with their initials listed on it carrying things like granola bars, fresh fruit, instant oatmeal and cereal. During the winter, the packs included hats and mittens, and over the first Halloween the program was run, they added some candy.
Donations are periodically accepted by the Monroe School Board for the program. According to the Wisconsin Department of Instruction, 33% of students receive free lunch while 40% receive free and reduced cost meals. Monroe also offers meals through the Federal Summer Food Service Program to offer both free breakfast and lunch at summer school, but also to any children 18 or younger during the summer months.