What is Food Security?
Food security involves having enough food and knowing where your next meal is coming from. This includes access to nutritious and culturally relevant food, ensuring that no family lives in hunger or fear of insufficient food.
In Wake County...
- 126,110 people—or 11.1% of the population—are food insecure.
- 51% of those individuals do not qualify for federal nutrition programs, making it harder for them to get the support they need.
- 33,550 children (12.7%) live in food-insecure households.
- Of those children, 41% are not eligible for federal assistance.
Wake County Food Security Planning
The Wake County Food Security Program, dedicated to addressing food insecurity, has secured $7.2 million in 2023 to combat hunger.
Emphasizing that food security extends beyond emergency food supply, we aim to cultivate a resilient food system for the well-being of our community. Join us in ensuring that everyone has reliable access to the nourishment they need for a healthy and fulfilling life.
2023 Wake County Food Plan Update
Moving Beyond Hunger: Creating a Resilient & Equitable Food System
In June 2022, Wake County Cooperative Extension initiated the revision of the 2018 Wake County Comprehensive Food Security Plan. The objective was to pinpoint strategic investment opportunities that could enhance both the quality and quantity of available food for individuals experiencing food insecurity throughout the county.
The primary goal is to fortify our food system by introducing redundancy and fostering stronger connections among our emergency and local food system partners and networks. The outlined strategies in this plan aim to shift our existing food security model from one centered on food charity to a more resilient approach.
The 2023 updates have emerged from the collaborative efforts of an equity-focused steering committee, partner-organization workgroups, and research-driven analysis of comparable models. The steering committee comprised community members with firsthand experience of poverty and/or influential advocacy roles in their community, alongside practitioners actively engaged in various food system capacities.
2018 Wake County Food Security Plan
Moving Beyond Hunger: Five Strategies and Supporting Actions
In 2015, the Wake County Board of Commissioners, with guidance from the Wake County Food Security Working Group, funded the creation of a food security plan to outline recommendations on policy, partnerships, and activities to establish a pathway to comprehensive food security in Wake County. Since its adoption in 2017, the Plan has been integrated into the Capital Area Food Network's Food Access Circle as well as local municipalities.
Contacts
Food Security Program Manager
Sydney Mierop
Sydney.Mierop@wake.gov
919-250-3795
Local Foods Coordinator
Trevor Hyde
Trevor.Hyde@wake.gov
919-250-1094