Here are five key takeaways from our reporting:
1. Growing need: Foodbank Inc. — which serves Montgomery, Greene and Preble Counties — served 374,983 households over the past year. More than 50,000 of these were entirely new clients.
2. Inflation: A main driver for that is that groceries are simply getting more expensive. This is not only squeezing families, but making it costlier for the food bank to buy the food it provides to clients.
3. Who’s hungry: Research has shown that households with children, elderly members, or individuals with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity due to higher living expenses, limited income opportunities and greater healthcare costs.
4. Publisher’s letter: As Dayton Daily News Publisher Suzanne Klopfenstein says in her letter to readers in Sunday’s paper, “The power of community in Dayton is unmatched. We lift each other up during difficult times, and we don’t let our friends and neighbors go hungry.”
5. Get involved: Visit the Valley Food Relief page for more information on how to make a donation.
About the Author
