How Food Insecurity Impacts Us All

Imagine not having a grocery store nearby where you can easily pick up fresh, affordable food. For some neighbors, this means taking two buses or a long drive just to reach a full-service supermarket or farmers market. For others, it means stretching a fixed income or relying on SNAP (food stamps) to ensure there is enough to eat at home.

Sometimes, the closest option is not a grocery store at all – it is a fast food spot or a corner store. While these places serve a purpose in our neighborhoods, they do not always offer the kind of food that keeps families healthy in the long term.

For many neighbors across Philadelphia, this is not a “what if.” It is part of daily life.

When one neighbor struggles to access food, it does not just affect their household – it ripples through the community. Food is more than nourishment; it is connection, culture, and care. Access to healthy, affordable food should be something every neighbor can count on, not something they have to fight for.

Food insecurity occurs when people do not have consistent access to enough food to live healthy, active lives. It can mean skipping meals, choosing cheaper but less nutritious options, or worrying about whether groceries will last through the week.

There is no single reason behind it. Many neighbors are navigating low-wage or unpredictable work, rising rent, healthcare costs, and childcare expenses – all at once. On top of that, transportation barriers can make something as simple as grocery shopping feel out of reach.

Challenges in Philly’s Food System

Across Philadelphia, many neighbors are doing their best to put food on the table – yet far too many are still coming up short. Roughly one in four residents, and about a third of children, face uncertainty about where their next meal will come from. Local food pantries and soup kitchens continue to support the community every day, but many are stretched beyond capacity. At the same time, finding fresh, affordable produce is not always easy, especially in neighborhoods without nearby full-service grocery stores.

Programs like SNAP – often called food stamps – help many families bridge the gap. Still, thousands of eligible neighbors remain left out due to barriers such as complicated applications, work requirements, or lack of access to information. Community gardens and urban farms are powerful, neighborhood-driven solutions. They create space for fresh food, learning, and connection. But even these efforts face ongoing challenges, from securing land to accessing consistent funding and resources.

All of this adds up. Limited access to healthy food contributes to higher rates of diet-related illnesses like obesity and diabetes in our communities. At the same time, many food and farm workers – who help keep the system running – are paid low wages, making it harder to build a local food system that truly supports everyone involved.

In 2023, Philadelphia County alone had the highest food insecurity rate of 17.6% and that county’s food insecurity population was 277,860. The average meal cost for that county was $3.96.  This is compared to Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Berks, and Chester counties.

Recent Changes in SNAP Benefits

Access to SNAP has long been one way many neighbors in Philadelphia are able to keep food on the table. In 2022, Penn Medicine’s Community Health Needs Assessment found that 14.4% of Pennsylvanians – and 27.3% of Philadelphia neighbors surveyed in communities surrounding Penn Medicine’s hospitals – were receiving SNAP benefits.

Even with that level of need, recent policy changes have made it harder for some neighbors to stay enrolled.

As of September 1, 2025, Pennsylvania expanded work and activity requirements for certain SNAP recipients. Adults who are able to work and do not have young children are now expected to work, volunteer, or participate in education or job training programs for about 20 hours per week – and regularly report those hours to maintain their benefits.

For neighbors who are not able to meet these requirements, SNAP access can become time-limited, adding another layer of uncertainty for households already navigating tight budgets.

The state has shared resources to help neighbors better understand these changes, including how to apply for exemptions and stay compliant. Still, for many, these updates have introduced new challenges in an already complicated system – making it harder to consistently access the support they need to feed themselves and their families.

If you or those you serve need access to food, visit  https://www.phila.gov/food/ or https://www.sharefoodprogram.org/find-food/.

Interested in learning how the region is working toward this issue? Learn more about Philly’s Food and Nutrition Task Force in this Friday’s TGIF Newsletter | subscribe now.

Generocity’s Ledger Series is supported by Independence Foundation