Yolo Food Bank Finds One in Three Households Are Food Insecure in Yolo County
Apr 16, 2024 09:14AM ● By Yolo Food Bank News Release
WOODLAND, CA (MPG) - On April 5, during Yolo Food Bank’s ‘State of Food Insecurity event,’ the organization released its Yolo County Food Access Survey Report, showing food insecurity is at 29.2 percent in Yolo County – a figure that exceeds both state and national averages. The findings also revealed disparities: food insecurity is highest in unincorporated, rural areas of Yolo County, and amongst Black and Latino households. Food insecurity as defined by the USDA’s Six-item Short Form Survey, is when a household experiences reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet and/or disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake due to limited or uncertain access to adequate foods.
Speakers at Yolo Food Bank's 'State of Food Insecurity Event'. From left to right: Yolo Food Bank Director of Development and Communications, Maria Segoviano; Nugget Market CEO, Greg Hill; Sutter Health Director of Community Health, Kelly Brenk; California Association of Food Banks CEO Stacia Hill Levenfeld. Courtesy photo
“This effort represents the first unique population-based, food bank-led survey in California,” said Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker. “With support from Sutter Health, the USDA Reach and Resiliency program, and our generous community of donors, this survey report provides an accessible and in-depth analysis of Yolo County’s state of food insecurity.”
The Yolo County Food Access Survey was mailed to every address in Yolo County in the spring of 2023 and collected data around key county demographics, the measure of food insecurity, use of the charitable food system, access to culturally appropriate foods, CalFresh enrollment, and general food access. In order to attain a representative sample, Yolo Food Bank also collaborated with its partner agencies to recruit individuals already connected to the charitable food system – nearly 4,000 responses were recorded. The data was weighted to account for varying response rates across key socio-demographics. Overall, the effort garnered a five percent response rate, which represents a very successful survey response rate.
Speakers at Yolo Food Bank's 'State of Food Insecurity Event'. From left to right: Yolo County Board of Supervisor Chair, Lucas Frerichs; Mayor of Woodland and Woodland Food Closet Executive Director, Tania Garcia-Cadena; Health and Human Services Agency's Service Centers Branch Director, Dr. Tico Zendejas; Managing Partner at Valley Vision, Trish Kelly. Courtesy photo
To understand food insecurity, one must acknowledge its root cause is related to poverty. As reported by the U.S. Census Supplemental Poverty Measure – California, famed for its economic opportunities – bears the highest poverty rate in the U.S. at 13.2 percent. While Yolo County renowned for its agricultural abundance, also stands as the most impoverished county with a poverty rate of 19.5 percent, according to the Public Policy Institute of California. Both measures of poverty at the county and state level take into account non-cash benefits that aid low-income families and necessary household expenditures such as housing costs and medical expenses.
The food insecurity safety net is not only composed of the charitable food system, which includes numerous nonprofits working to combat food insecurity. It also includes CalFresh, the largest food program in California that provides monthly food benefits to individuals and families who are low-income. According to the California Department of Social Services, CalFresh is state-supervised and county-operated.
Attendees at State of Food Insecurity Event at Yolo Food Bank in Woodland, CA. Courtesy photo
In Yolo County, the Health and Human Services Agency’s Service Center’s purpose is to provide access and equitable services to those residents most in need. Thus, for a more comprehensive picture of the food insecurity work being done, the survey report also asked residents about their use of CalFresh and discovered that the enrollment rate in Yolo County is at 18.9 percent. Furthermore, it found that 43.6 percent of respondents cited obtaining nearly all or all of their household food through the program, demonstrating its importance for food insecure households.
“This report provides region specific areas to focus our outreach and enrollment services for CalFresh,” stated Health and Human Services Agency's Service Centers Branch Director Dr. Tico Zendejas. “Furthermore, our Branch can strengthen collaborations and partnerships to enroll hard to reach populations.”
The event to release the findings was held today at Yolo Food Bank’s facility in Woodland, and convened elected officials, grocers, corporate donors, nonprofit partner agencies, and leaders in the food insecurity space. At the event, the Yolo County Board of Supervisors were acknowledged for their unique investments to address food insecurity through the American Rescue Plan funds that were awarded to Yolo Food Bank and other partners in Yolo County, in recent years.
“How incredible that we are here today in community with all those who play an important role in the food insecurity space,” said Yolo County Board of Supervisors Chair Lucas Frerichs. “Food insecurity was an important target priority for American Rescue Plan fund dollars, and to see the alignment with the data today, confirms this was a much-needed investment.”
Recognizing Yolo County relies greatly on its agricultural economy, Yolo Food Bank collected data specifically on agricultural workers. The report discovered that a staggering 52.9 percent of households working in the agricultural industry are food insecure in Yolo County. In response to this severe need, Sutter Health is partnering with Yolo Food Bank to create an effort that will address agricultural worker food insecurity.
From left to right: Yolo Food Bank Executive Director, Karen Baker; Yolo County Board of Supervisor District 5, Angel Barajas; Yolo County Board of Supervisor Chair and District 2, Lucas Frerichs; Yolo County Board of Supervisor District 1, Oscar Villegas. Courtesy photo
“It is incredibly eye opening that the very people who are most food insecure are also the same members of our community that help cultivate our crops,” said Sutter Health Director of Community Health Kelly Brenk. “That is why we are pleased to announce that Sutter Health is partnering with Yolo Food Bank to take action by an investment of $200,000 over two years for Yolo Food Bank’s new ‘Cultivo’ program, which launches this spring.”
The “Cultivo” program will provide agricultural workers with access to fresh, healthy, and culturally appropriate foods and food relief resources directly to their places of residence and employment, such as fields, farms, packing plants, and canneries. The program is designed to remove barriers, such as transportation and needing time off from work by meeting people where they are at.
As far as next steps, Yolo Food Bank plans to engage a third-party convener to bring all food security partners together and address the challenges revealed by the survey. There are dozens of nonprofits in Yolo County that are actively working to provide basic needs for residents. With this new data, different stakeholders can come to the table to make data driven decisions.
“Given Yolo County’s ranking in both poverty and food insecurity, this is a story that should be shared at the national and international stage,” said Yolo Food Bank Executive Director Karen Baker. “It’s rare to find an accessible survey report that shows the diversity of challenges that one community faces in meeting the most essential need: food.”
To learn more about Yolo Food Bank, please visit: https://yolofoodbank.org/.
