$1 = 4 Meals

Food insecurity for older adults age 50 to 59 in Ohio is a particular problem, with 15 percent struggling with food insecurity, ranking Ohio 9th nationally. More than four in 10 of those older adults are living with disabilities, and about half are not homeowners.

"This research clearly demonstrates the interconnectedness of food security and poverty-related issues," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks. "When individuals reach their near-retirement and retirement years and are trying to survive on limited, fixed incomes without assets like their own home or retirement savings, there's nowhere else for them to turn."

According to Feeding America’s newly released Map the Meal Gap 2019, Ohio’s food insecurity rate of 14.5 percent is much higher than the national rate (12.5 percent) and the Midwestern average (11.4 percent). Food insecurity is higher among households with children. About 1 in 5 children in Ohio (19.6 percent) live in families that can’t always afford enough food on their own. In several rural counties (Monroe, Meigs, Adams, Vinton, Scioto and Guernsey), that rate is 1 in 4 or higher.

"By scaling back one of the nation's most effective poverty-reduction programs, the rule would exacerbate hardship and reduce economic activity in areas that are already economically disadvantaged compared to the rest of the country," said Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks.