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Food – Fresh fruits, veggies out of reach for many East Central Indiana residents
MUNCIE — Eleven percent of Hoosiers in U.S. Rep. Mike Pence’s congressional district believe they don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables, according to Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, a nonprofit agency based in Indianapolis.
That number represents the highest percentage in the state, and increases to 11.5 percent when addressing families with children in the district.
“This is a problem because when families don’t have access to fresh produce — or if they believe they don’t — that affects their nutrition, their overall health and that of their children as well,” said Tameka Williams, a public health educator from Purdue Extension’s Delaware County office. “Their bodies can’t fight against illness without the nutrients from fresh food and produce and what they eat instead can lead to other health problems, such as obesity. This is certainly a problem.”
Based on information from the Food Research and Action Center’s report, “A half empty plate: Fruit and vegetable affordability and access challenges in America,” Indiana’s numbers are above the national average of 8.2 percent and East Central Indiana’s are significantly higher.
The report identified areas based on congressional districts as a way to compare across the nation, not as an indication of whether members of Congress work on feeding the hungry in their districts.
But the reason for the higher statistic in Indiana’s Sixth Congressional District is unknown to local food suppliers.
“I would guess the economy has something to do with it and the fact that all of us are seeing more people, and newer people, than ever before,” said Lois Rockhill, executive director of Second Harvest Food Bank of East Central Indiana, which distributes fresh food during its monthly tailgates. “I do know that this confirms the commitment we’ve made to supplying more fresh items to our pantries and the community. We’ll also see what more we can do.”
Finances are also an expected variable for local families.
Amber Scorch, a Muncie mother, is a member of one of the many families in Muncie with problems accessing fresh foods because of the cost.
When she shops for her family, fresh foods are often the first to go because she can purchase cheaper canned foods at grocery stores.
“My dollar goes a lot further when it’s canned or frozen
compared to fresh food,” she said. “I have to choose with the dollar if I want to feed my children all the food they need.”
Emily Bryant, executive director of Feeding Indiana’s Hungry, believes the study provides social service agencies with more data to prove what they may anecdotally know: People in the area are struggling.
What they do with that information is up to them.
“We’re working with state organizations to find better and more efficient ways to feed people in our state. We’re willing to work with anyone interested in doing the same,” Bryant said. “This is a problem we can fix in America. It’s about getting the food to the people who need it.”
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