Session Summary: Using a more neighbor-centric approach to measuring hunger and food insecurity, we, in Minnesota, are now able to better understand who and how many people in our state are using SNAP, how many are also accessing support at food shelves, and how many are still unable to get enough food for their households. Better data yields better policy, and we are excited to share our approach with other hunger-fighting advocates. We are using this data to push for policy change in the state legislature, and we want to help others learn about our approach, how to implement it in their states, and how we can work together to use more nuanced data to help policymakers understand how imperative it is to take action.
Session speakers include Elizabeth Cooper, Chief External Relations Officer at Second Harvest Heartland, Zach Rodvold, Director of Public Affairs at Second Harvest Heartland, and Karen Spitzfaden, Director of Consumer Insights & Digital Strategy at Second Harvest Heartland. Together, they will share the process of creating a new metric, implementing the first-annual research study, helping the community understand the data, and motivating elected officials to take action.
Learning Objectives:
Participants will learn about a different way to measure hunger and food insecurity in their community.
Participants will learn what we have learned about the overlap between SNAP recipients, food shelf visitors, and households who experience hunger in Minnesota.
Participants will learn how to use more robust data to persuade policymakers to take action to address hunger and food insecurity.
