Food Insecurity Continues to Affect the Boulder Community
By: Tyler Hickman and Elise Ertl
They say hunger is something that happens behind closed doors. It’s not a ribbon that you wear, or something that comes up in polite conversation either. Until you enter someone’s home, there’s no way to know what their situation is because it’s not something talked about. The reality is, when money gets tight, food is often one of the first cuts to be made. It starts with downgrading certain supplies like cleaners and toilet paper from name-brand to store-brand, and then goes to what food items people are able to live without down to just basic needs. And all while this is happening, to even your neighbor next door, you won’t hear a word about it.
There’s a stigma around receiving food assistance, whether it be because one normalizes food insecurity, or one believes there is only a finite amount of resources available, and they don’t want to take away from others who may need the assistance.
This stigma is beginning to change in Boulder County and Colorado. The heightened visibility of food insecurity during the pandemic only expedited this shift in perspective.
Kristina Thomas, director of philanthropy of marketing at Community Food Share, said, “I think the pandemic really changed a lot of that because for the first time, people were seeing food lines. It wasn’t through any fault of anyones. Just the circumstances that we were living in at the time.”
With a median household income estimated at $90,000, Boulder County may seem insulated from food insecurity. At the same time, a 2022 estimate from Community Food Share shows that a family of four needs to earn $83,000 annually to make ends meet here.
Fig. 1 Map of Colorado showing food insecurity rates by county
Food insecurity in Boulder County is exacerbated by the ever-increasing price of food. Currently, Boulder County’s average meal cost is $4.22, putting it in the 98th percentile of most expensive meals in the country.
To help combat food insecurity, one local food pantry, Community Food Share, partners with 42 different agencies across the country. Through these partnerships, Community Food Share rescues 13 tons of food and is able to deliver around 22,000 meals every day.
It’s difficult for families to piece together a nutritious meal with dry goods from a food pantry. Through the government funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), food insecure people receive a monthly allotment for groceries based on their income.
Fig. 2 Infographic displaying SNAP statistics in Boulder County (Sources: CDHS; Feeding America)
Even with a well funded program, disparity exists between the monthly allotted benefits and the amount needed to meet a families nutritional needs. The Colorado Department of Human Services continues to improve application efficiency to help address this issue.
New technology funded through grants has vastly improved the process that determines a family’s allotment. Forms that families fill out to update their income and needs are now read entirely by an automated program.
“Prior to this automation, we would see between 75% and 82% accuracy rate from entering that information manually into the system,” said Karla Maraccini, the CDHS Division Director for Food and Energy Assistance.
After the implementation of new software, the accuracy of these forms jumped to 97%.
Despite efficiency improvements, state and local institutions are still chipping away at the food insecurity issue. The stigma of receiving help may be a large contributor to this disparity, but it’s not easy to combat.
The chart below depicts the existing gap between those in need of assistance and those receiving assistance.
Fig. 3 Chart of Boulder County residents who receive SNAP benefits compared to those in need of food assistance
Fig. Juxtaposed Map of Food insecurity by county 2017 vs. 2020
After a stagnant period, the number of SNAP participants in Boulder County increased by nearly 1,000 people in 2020. The economic crisis resulting from the global health crisis likely contributed to this rise.
Thomas went on, “I think the pandemic really changed a lot of that because for the first time, people were seeing food lines.”
Many people were exposed to food insecurity in their communities on a daily basis. That being said, certain age ranges have been shown to be more vulnerable to food insecurity.
Fig. 4 Pie chart breakdown of food insecurity by age group
College students experience food insecurity at higher rates than any other age range. The normalization of food insecurity in college, however, is beginning to melt away.
Maddie Atuire, Feed the Stampede Senior Coordinator for the Basic Needs Center, said, “There have been a lot of toxic narratives surrounding food access in college environments, with students claiming that it’s normal to have no money for food, or to skip meals when they’re not in the dining halls, or to eat ramen for every meal because that’s all they can afford. I think we are progressing in that students no longer feel like that is normal, are admitting that they may be experiencing food insecurity, and are willing to accept support.”
The working class is experiencing food insecurity issues of their own.
“Minimum wage isn’t what it was a few years ago. We find ourselves in a position where the cost of living is more than what they’re making on an annual basis. The hourly workers, the people who are doing the gig work, and holding down just a few jobs just to make ends meet,” Thomas elaborated.
Government officials and food pantries alike constantly battle to break down these perceptions, and inform people of the help they are eligible for. Education and community involvement programs are a step towards this.
“Sometimes it starts out as simply as providing a cooking demonstration for healthier eating, and then explaining to people how they can increase their own monthly food budget…” Maraccini explained.
All things considered, food insecurity can’t be fixed until the root causes are addressed.
Thomas said, “A lot of the time it is situational… how can we create a better workforce where people are earning a living wage, having rent that is manageable on that wage and making sure that food prices aren’t outlandish like they are right now and that people have access to it.”
The layers of food insecurity are difficult to peel back. The pandemic opened the public’s eyes, and, slowly, visibility is tearing down the stigma. The face of hunger is the face of a coworker, a neighbor, or a stranger in the grocery store. Food insecurity continues to reveal its many faces, and with each one, the roots grow deeper.