Food Insecurity Initiative

For us, caring for the Bucks County community is our mission

Did you know . . .

In some parts of Bucks County, up to 8.8% of the population cut meal size or skipped meals because they lacked the money for food. Hunger and lack of access to healthy food puts people at risk for poor health outcomes. 

 

» View the full Bucks County Food Assessment map

Gaps in Food Access

In the 2018 Bucks County Food Assistance Assessment, St. Mary Medical Center, in partnership with local organizations and governmental agencies, analyzed food insecurity issues affecting our communities.

The report identified gaps in food access and contains recommendations to close those gaps. One of the issues identified in the report is that people don’t know where to find help. St. Mary and its partners worked together to develop this interactive map to help Bucks residents find food assistance sites and programs such as WIC, food pantries, senior center meals and SNAP farmers' markets.

What is Food Insecurity?

*Food insecurity also refers to the USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods.

Food-insecure households are not necessarily food insecure all the time. Food insecurity may reflect a household’s need to make trade-offs between important basic needs, such as housing or medical bills, and purchasing nutritionally adequate foods.

The Power of Partnership

St. Mary Medical Center is committed to achieving better health outcomes by providing access to healthy food options and an interactive map of Bucks County Food Assistance Programs and Locations.

The St. Mary Food Insecurities Initiative is made possible through a collaboration with Bucks County Human Services, Bucks County Opportunity Council, Penn Community Bank, St. Mary Medical Center d, and the United Way of Bucks County.