Supreme Court Decision Has Implications for People Facing Hunger
The Vermont Foodbank, a Feeding America network food bank, shares Feeding America’s vision of a nation where no one experiences hunger. The Vermont Foodbank also believes that anti-hunger work is only possible with a commitment to removing barriers that create and perpetuate inequities that drive hunger and poverty. We endorse the below statement from Feeding America, which acknowledges the disproportionate and negative impacts of the recent decision by the US Supreme Court, reversing Roe v. Wade, on women and people who are pregnant, especially people of color and people with low income, as well as children and families.
In Vermont, women and people who are pregnant are currently protected in regards to decision-making about their reproductive futures and access to reproductive health care. This isn’t true in other states. The impacts of this disparity affect people nation-wide.
The Vermont Foodbank remains committed to making nourishing food available to all people in Vermont, and to continuing to center the experiences and voices of people in Vermont facing food insecurity in our collective work.
To access food resources in Vermont, visit www.vtfoodbank.org.
Feeding America Statement on Implications of Roe v. Wade Decision for People Facing Hunger
June 30, 2022
Feeding America is committed to realizing an America where no one is hungry. In our journey to end hunger, we work to consistently center people facing hunger and any implications for them in our statements and actions. In doing so, we ground ourselves in data and seek to understand the impact, both qualitatively and quantitatively.
There is compelling data that supports our belief that the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will have deep implications for hundreds of thousands of women and pregnant people—particularly people of color and people with low income—as well as children and families. The data clearly demonstrates these individuals and families will be significantly more likely to remain in poverty or fall below the poverty line. It stands to reason then that the ruling will stretch already limited budgets, in the middle of historic inflationary pressures, resulting in more economic hardship and increased reliance on federal nutrition safety net programs, which will not be enough to cover the costs of food for those in need.
Consistent access to food is already difficult. The reality is, more than 38 million people, including nearly 12 million children, were food insecure in 2020. Access to food becomes even more difficult when considering race, ethnicity, gender and geography, among other factors. USDA data shows Black people are 3.2 times and Latinos are 2.5 times more likely to live in households that are food insecure compared to white individuals. The same data suggests Native Americans are about 3 times more likely to be food insecure, though other sources suggest the disparities are much greater. Food insecurity varies greatly among Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, with some households experiencing higher rates of food insecurity.
We aspire for an America where no one is hungry. We aspire to come together with partners and supporters across the country who agree that it is unacceptable for families to not know where their next meal comes from, for children to have to go to school on an empty stomach and for parents to have to choose between paying the rent or feeding their children. We aspire for all our neighbors to have access to the food and resources they need to not just survive, but to thrive. We will move forward on our journey to make that aspiration a reality.