When the pandemic began last year, more American families than ever were thrown into the situation of not knowing where the next meal was coming from. Lines at food pantries snaked around pylons in parking lots as long as the Covid-19 testing lines. And while our country has been dealing with hunger for far longer than the pandemic, most food pantries and shelters still struggle to keep up with the demand.
This updated report from Feeding America states that: “The COVID-19 crisis has dealt a swift blow to the economic health of individuals and communities across the country, and the effects have the potential to be long-term. It took ten years for food insecurity rates to return to pre-Great Recession levels. For now, with no immediate end to the crisis in sight, demand for charitable food assistance is expected to remain at elevated levels for the foreseeable future.”
As an industry, the National Association of Senior & Specialty Move Managers (NASMM), to which we belong, has focused on helping to stock food banks. Our charitable partner, Move for Hunger helps by teaming up with movers and move managers to collect food items that homeowners will not be taking with them and donating them to local food pantries.