This week, families across the country will come together and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal. For many of us, Thanksgiving wouldn’t be complete without turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and other festive sides. When you don’t have the food you need to thrive, however, celebrating the holidays can be tough. Consider that nearly 34 million people faced hunger in 2021, averaging 1 in 7 adults. Think of the number of adults in your workplace or the adults that live on your street. One in 7 of these adults may be experiencing food insecurity as families with children, military families, employed persons with low wages, and adults who have pursued or attained education beyond high school are all vulnerable.
In a society that associates income with a person’s worthiness, and where discussing personal finances is often taboo, it’s hard to have the confidence to speak freely or know who else might be experiencing a similar situation. Many of us take pride in self-sufficiency, and falling on hard financial times can be a blow to our self-esteem: we feel exposed, vulnerable, or singled out. This problem of food insecurity is one that is particularly prevalent in our community and has heightened just in the last few years.
