BOISE, Idaho — Thanksgiving is a time when people traditionally come together and share a meal but for some people living in the Treasure Valley, it's a time that can showcase their need. Hunger Free America, a nonprofit that, according to its website, "works to end hunger through a combination of advocacy and direct service at the national level," claims a lot of American people are experiencing food insecurity.
"The number of Americans without enough food over one seven-day period spiked by 30 percent nationwide between October of 2021 and October of 2022," states the website. "Over that year, the number of people without enough food increased from 19.9 million to 25.7 million nationwide."
Here in Idaho, St. Vincent de Paul is distributing Thanksgiving food boxes to help people out during the holiday. The boxes contain everything a person would need to make a Thanksgiving meal. This year marks the 46th annual Thanksgiving Food Box Program, it will provide over 2,500 local families with a food box, nearly $175,000 worth of food.
This year, during the distribution on Nov. 21, Mayor Lauren McLean joined Dawn Pierce from Hunger Free America to help out families and raise awareness for the growing demand on local food pantries.
"The purpose of the Thanksgiving Food Box Program is to provide aid during the holiday," stated a press release, "and to shed light on the year-round need for food within our community. While increases in federal safety net programs such as SNAP and WIC helped stem the effects of inflation on hunger and food insecurity, over 100,000 Idaho families still struggle to put food on the table."
Those who missed out on the Thanksgiving food box distribution but are still in need can go to St. Vincent de Paul's website for a list of food pantries in their area.
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