Extending a Helping Hand: We Can Improve Food Insecurity in Our Own Backyards

It was a privilege to not worry about the source of my family’s next meal when I was growing up in Jamaica. I can almost taste and smell the childhood memories — a pantry full of fresh food from my grandfather’s farm, my entire family gathered around the huge dining room table. These meals were the cornerstone of our home and family life.

Regrettably, this isn't the reality for many — even over Thanksgiving. New data from the USDA shows that approximately 17 million households in the U.S., including 3.3 million children, experienced food insecurity (the lack of access to affordable, quality, nutritious food) at some point during 2022. I experienced food insecurity, too, when I first moved to the United States in 1986, when I was 18 years old, putting myself through nursing school and trying to make it on my own.

The urban neighborhood where I lived when I came to the United States was cluttered with fast-food chains. It was tempting, convenient, affordable and accessible — nothing like the nourishing meals I’d enjoyed around my grandparents’ dining room table. In my new neighborhood, budget supermarkets showcased cheap, unhealthy foods in bulk. I’d become a low-income shopper looking to stretch every dollar. Having worked at a grocery store to make ends meet, I was surrounded by food I couldn’t afford and often found myself taking home unhealthy, cheaper food options.

Taking a closer look at that time of my life, and at more recent experiences that are a sharp contrast to it, I know now that local health systems and communities can play a role to improve those statistics.

When I became a nurse, I saw the impact of food insecurity up close. My patients from racial and ethnic minority groups and socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods were repeatedly admitted to the hospital with uncontrolled hypertension, heart disease, obesity, diabetes and “failure to thrive.” That was not the case with their wealthier white counterparts.

Today’s facts support my clinical experiences. Food insecurity is linked to increased risk for several chronic health issues, including diabetes, obesity, cardiac diseases and mental health disorders.

This public health challenge demands the collective efforts of health systems and community partners. We need creative ways to reach those in need and make sure they have consistent sources of food, as well as the education to support good nutrition.

Urban farming is one growing strategy making a positive impact. An urban farm I visited aims to inspire youth to lead healthy lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability and nutrition.

By encouraging young people to farm and adopt healthier food habits, they are learning the importance of consuming fresh, healthy food during their youth, which gives them a better shot at staying healthier throughout their lives.

“If a child plants it,” the director told me, “they will eat it, and 80% of the time that they eat it, they'll like it.”

Other parts of food insecurity are more complex, even confounding — like the fact that the United States can simultaneously be the wealthiest nation on Earth and have tens of millions who don’t have consistent access to healthful food. That’s difficult to face, but it’s important we do. It was only recently that I fully understood that I had experienced it myself once because of my address and socioeconomic status.

My experiences as an immigrant, as a nurse and as a visitor to a community farm has shown me that, together, we can boost access to fresh, healthful food, even in seemingly unlikely places.

Local hospitals and health systems can build relationships with local food pantries and farms. Then, emergency rooms can screen patients for hunger and food insecurity and connect them with these nearby sources of nutritious food. These partnerships — with rooftop gardens, local farms, food pantries, restaurants and religious organizations are the foundation of for helping patients gain access to healthful food. It’s part of an investment mindset, a long-tern vision for the future. We can only do this if we open our eyes and minds to what’s happening right around us, if we honestly and compassionately confront the challenges too many of us face.   

I hope my own awareness plants a seed for change. Discussing food insecurity openly can give patients, communities and health systems fuel to advocate and grow. We can build a future where everyone has consistent, reliable access to nourishing meals.

Sandra Lindsay (DHSc, MBA, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC) is vice president of public health advocacy for Northwell Health, New York's largest healthcare provider. She worked as a critical care nurse in New York during the pandemic and was the first person in the U.S. vaccinated for COVID-19 outside of clinical trials. She is a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, as well as host of the “20-Minute Health Talk” podcast and an advocate for vaccines and mental health for health care workers.