Policy Research
Recent Work
SUN Region Hunger Mapping
One in eight (12.5%) individuals in Snyder, Union, and Northumberland counties (the SUN region) faces food insecurity. In total, more than 22,000 residents of the SUN region did not know where their next meal would come from in 2022. About 5,000 of these individuals had not been food insecure in 2021.
Food insecurity exists in every municipality in the SUN region, but food insecurity has an uneven impact based on geography and demographic factors such as race, ethnicity, age, disability status, and household type. This report seeks to understand the distribution and experience of food insecurity across these counties as well as its drivers and root causes.
To learn more about the 2024 SUN Region Hunger Mapping Report’s findings and recommendations, please see the Executive Summary or the Full Report.
Lebanon County Hunger Mapping
One in ten (9.8%) Lebanon County residents experiences food insecurity, and a similar proportion (9.7%) visited a food pantry in the last year. In total, nearly 14,000 individuals in the county are impacted by food insecurity and the charitable food network’s response to it. Importantly, food insecurity does not impact people of all ages, household types, geographies, or race/ethnicities equally. With this understanding, this report assesses the causes and distribution of these differences and discusses ways stakeholders can work to reduce these inequities.
Given a problem of this breadth and complexity, it is critically important for stakeholders in the charitable food network to better understand the issues at play. This report aims to provide that understanding and to chart a path forward to reducing food insecurity in the near and long-term.
To learn more about the 2024 Lebanon Community Hunger Mapping Report’s findings and recommendations, please see the Executive Summary or the Full Report.
Lancaster County Hunger Mapping
Nearly 50,000 people in Lancaster County face food insecurity, meaning that a staggering one in eleven Lancastrians experiences limited or uncertain access to adequate food throughout the year. Food insecurity is an unacceptable problem anywhere, but it is especially intolerable in a community as abundant as Lancaster.
To that end, this Community Hunger Mapping report is the charitable food system’s first major research initiative to better understand the causes, experiences, and dispersion of food insecurity in the county, as well as to make actionable recommendations that can improve neighbor experience at pantries in the immediate future and can begin to eliminate hunger in Lancaster County in the long term.
To learn more about the 2023 Lancaster Community Hunger Mapping Report’s findings and recommendations, please see the Executive Summary or the Full Report.
Policy Report: Food Insecurity in Central Pennsylvania Food Bank Counties 2020 to 2021
Discover the insightful findings of our latest policy report that delves into the changing landscape of food insecurity within the 27 counties served by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank (CPFB). This retrospective analysis focuses on the years 2020 and 2021, using Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap estimates to uncover vital trends in food insecurity rates…READ MORE
Previous Publications
08.21.2024 – Policy Report: Food Insecurity in Central Pennsylvania, 2021 to 2022 Blog | PDF
07.25.2024 – Policy Blog: Disability and Food Insecurity in the Central Susquehanna Valley Blog | PDF
06.27.2024 – Policy Blog: Research on Food Insecurity and Insufficiency in the LGBTQ+ Community Blog | PDF
05.29.2024 – Policy Blog: Map the Meal Gap 2022 Food Insecurity Rates in Central Pennsylvania Blog | PDF
04.25.2024 – Policy Blog: Lancaster County Community Hunger Mapping Implementation Culturally Familiar Foods Blog | PDF
03.28.2024 – Pennsylvania WIC Participation Dashboards Blog
11.28.2023 – Policy Blog: Lebanon County Data Bytes Pantry Visits, Very Low Food Security, and SNAP Blog | PDF
09.19.2023 – Policy Memo: The Impact of Universal Eligibility on School Breakfast Participation in Pennsylvania Blog | PDF
03.31.2023 – Research Brief: The Neighbor Experience at Food Pantries in Cumberland County Blog | PDF
02.22.2023 – Policy Brief: Estimated Impact of Universal School Breakfast in Central Pennsylvania Blog | PDF
01.04.2023 – Policy Memo: Food Price Inflation as of November 2022 Blog | PDF
11.10.2022 – Research Summary: Food Insecurity Among Working-Age Veterans Blog | PDF
Report Summary: Food Insecurity In Central Pennsylvania 2019-2020 PDF
We value integrity, inclusivity, and transparency in all our endeavors. Our team is committed to engaging with diverse perspectives and advocating for policies that address the unique challenges faced by vulnerable populations, including marginalized communities and underserved individuals. By amplifying the voices of those directly impacted by food insecurity, we work towards building a fairer and more resilient society where no one has to endure hunger or food insecurity.