Collaboration and Service Improvement:

• Support strategic planning within the Upper Valley Hunger Council to identify opportunities to increase coordination of services and address gaps.

• Map food security assets to identify gaps and opportunities. 

• Increase use of Hunger Vital Signs as a screening tool to identify food insecurity in healthcare and social service settings, especially for children. 

• Expand access to meals for children at school and during summer breaks. 

• Increase the number of community gardens and gleaning providing fresh produce to people experiencing food insecurity. 

Education:

• Support strategic planning within the Upper Valley Hunger Council to identify opportunities to increase education about resources and healthy food options. 

Advocacy: 

• Host Bi-State Legislative Breakfast every two years to engage state policymakers in discussion of local health priorities. 

• Advocate for the expansion of low-barrier meal programs for children at school and during summer breaks. 

• Advocate for livable wages.

Equity:

• Increase capacity of grassroots and small organizations representing people with lived experience of health inequities to address the concerns of their communities independently through grantmaking and technical assistance. 

According to Healthy People 2030, food insecurity can be defined as limited or uncertain access to adequate food. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that 33.8 million people lived in food-insecure households in 2021. Limited access to nutritious food can have health impacts such as depression, poor oral health, and trouble focusing. Inflation has caused food prices to rise an average of 11.4% in 2022, with staple foods like eggs rising in cost by as much as 39.8%. Practices to reduce food insecurity include lowering the cost and barriers to accessing nutritious foods, as well as increasing access to nutrition assistance programs like food stamps and food banks.

• Upper Valley Hunger Council (UVHC)
• Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center (MAHHC) Food Security Workgroup
• Mt. Ascutney Regional Commission (MARC)
• Two Rivers Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TROPC)
• New Hampshire Hunger Solutions
• Hartford Community Coalition (HCC)
• Friends of Mascoma Foundation(FOMF)
• Vital Communities (VC)
• Willing Hands
• Public Health Council (PHC)
• Upper Valley Equity Anti-Racism (UVEAR) Leadership Team
• Upper Valley Community Health Equity Partnership (UVCHEP) Steering Committee

Data Explanation: Feeding America's Map the Meal Gap program compiles publicly available data on indicators proven to contribute to food insecurity, like unemployment and poverty. The program then utilizes survey data and statistical modeling to refine its estimates for each county in the United States.

Limitations: When using a statistical model, there are factors of food insecurity specific to smaller areas not included in the model, contributing to inaccuracies. In addition, the model's methodology changed in 2021, making it difficult to compare the data to previous years.