CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – New statistics indicate a troubling increase in food insecurity in the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank region. According to Les Sinclair of the food bank, the latest “Map the Meal Gap” figures reveal that nearly 172,000 individuals out of the 1.6 million population are experiencing food insecurity. This equates to approximately one in ten people overall, and one in nine children. These numbers have risen from the previous rate of one in twelve.
Sinclair notes that these figures reflect data from 2022. However, if current trends in pantry visits continue, the situation is likely to worsen in 2023 and 2024. During the peak of the pandemic, there were about 146,000 average guest visits per month. This year, the average has increased to around 153,000 monthly visits, with a peak of 173,000 in October of last year. Sinclair attributes this rise primarily to inflation.
