LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An alarming report released by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) showed that Arkansas ranks first in the country for the highest percentage of people who are facing food insecurity.
These estimates show it isn't just a problem in Arkansas— but also nationwide.
Locally, at the Arkansas Food Bank, these results weren't unexpected.
"As sobering as that data is, it's not a complete surprise to us," Arkansas Foodbank Chief Development Officer, Sarah Riffle said.
Riffle said the increase in food insecurity could have a lot to do with a decline in federal government funding.
"Coupled with the fact that we went directly into really tough economic times, everyone is really feeling the burn of inflation, especially in the costs of housing and groceries, and Arkansans are no different," she described.
The new USDA report showed that 16.6 percent of Arkansans are considered to be food insecure.
"They don't know where their next meal might come from. So for many families, that means that they're wondering how they're going to put food on the table, not only for themselves but for the people in their family as well," she added.
At the food bank, they've been seeing the need grow.
"We have seen an increase in need pretty drastically over the last year, but specifically in the last six months," she added.
Riffle also said this time of year tends to be the busier season as we head into the holidays.
"People want to give back, they want to come out and volunteer. But we always like to remind everyone that hunger is a year-round problem," she explained.
It's also not just an issue in Arkansas.
"Food insecurity rose a little over 30% nationwide. So one in seven Americans are now considered food insecure, which is the highest that it's been since 2014," she said.
Despite the statistics, the foodbank and several other organizations have been trying to lower our state's food insecurity numbers one family at a time.
'We rely on our community to help with that, whether that be donating to your local food bank or coming out to volunteer, anybody can really help and step in, in the fight against hunger," she said.
If you'd like to donate time or money to fight food insecurity in Arkansas, you can click here to sign up for a volunteer shift or make a tax-free donation.