Case Study 3: Who in My County is at Risk of Food Insecurity and How has That Changed Over Time? Job loss and fewer economic opportunities during recessions reduce individuals’ income. These factors can compromise food security, forcing persons and families to choose between paying for housing expenses and paying for food. As the coronavirus pandemic wreaked economic havoc in 2020, an estimated forty-five million Americans, including fifteen million children who may have lost access to school meals, faced food insecurity. Similar projections for the year 2021 suggest that many communities across the United States will continue to experience financial struggles that compromise their food access and put them at greater risk of poorer long-term health. Areas with higher shares of children and older adults, low-income or unemployed, and Black or Hispanic residents may be particularly vulnerable. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as “food stamps,” is one federal program that can help alleviate food insecurity. SNAP provides lower-income households with economic resources to buy food. It is also an indicator of food insecurity — those who receive SNAP benefits are already at risk — and can provide us with insight into food access barriers within communities. As an Extension professional, you can often rely on intuition in assessing potential food hardship within your area. Data can bolster your “hunch” about food insecurity in your community and inform your idea of who is at risk and may benefit from a food bank, food pantry, or another type of informal food assistance outreach or program. Data on SNAP receipt is available in the ACS. In case study 1, we learned how to investigate where in your county residents with particular characteristics live, and you can apply the same steps to identify areas where your constituents are receiving SNAP. This case study will guide you through how to use ACS data to learn who in your county is receiving SNAP and may have been at even greater risk for food insecurity during the pandemic. We will walk step by step through how to answer this question. We will also showcase how to use ACS to investigate change over time, looking at whether receiving SNAP benefits in your community has decreased or increased over the past several years.
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