DAYTON — Food insecurity is climbing in the Miami Valley and across the country, with data from Feeding America showing the number of families in need has jumped since 2020.
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In the Dayton region, data shows that nearly 16 percent of adults were food insecure in 2024. That number jumped to over 23 percent for children in need.
It’s the third straight year those rates went up after people received pandemic help with additional stimulus payments and expanded credits.
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More people in the Dayton region are turning to The Foodbank, Inc. to put food on the table. The organization serves Montgomery, Greene, and Preble counties. Organizers said they’ve heard a lot of reasons for that.
“Wages just aren’t keeping pace with the cost of utilities, the cost of childcare,” Amber Wright, Development Director at The Foodbank, Inc., said. “All of these prices have gone up significantly over the past few years, but the wages are not keeping pace to be - for people to be able to cover all of their basic expenses.”
Over the past few years, The Foodbank, Inc. has seen an increase in people attending mass distribution events. Wright told News Center 7 that on top of seeing more first-time users, they’re also seeing people regularly relying on their events.
It makes every donation to The Foodbank, Inc. much more significant.
“This is not going away, and we know that the numbers are likely going to be higher for 2025 because a lot of people are using some of the federal nutrition support like SNAP,” Wright said. “And when people lose eligibility or access to SNAP assistance, that need doesn’t go away. They turn to food banks instead.”
While the Dayton region’s insecurity numbers are slightly higher than the national average, Wright said the data confirm the increase is a federal trend. The next step is to ensure local programs and events keep up with demand.
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