CHAPTER 4
IHN estimated it needed about 27 million additional meals per year to achieve its goal of
feeding everyone in the Indianapolis region who is hungry. To realize this goal, contributions
are needed from both public and private programs. SNAP can fill some of the meal gap,
but it cannot do it all. Feeding America’s research shows that 42 percent of the food-insecure
people in the Indianapolis region have incomes too high to be eligible for federal nutrition
programs,9 which means their only sources of food assistance are private charities.
Food drives and pancake breakfasts to raise charitable contributions are fun group
activities and opportunities to educate the community about hunger, but they are not
going to fill a 27-million-meal
gap. That’s where the business
Figure 4.3 Summer Boost in Children’s SNAP Benefits
community comes in. Dave
Reduces Hunger
Miner shows the pie chart to
Share of children in study with very low food security*
business leaders in the community, and they can see how much
7%
their contribution matters. India6.74%
6
napolis may not have any more
than its share of big-hearted busi5
ness leaders who want to help
5.49%
end hunger, but many business
4
leaders in Indy are inspired by
the fact that someone is using
3
data and analysis to solicit their
2
support. “So many have told
me how grateful they are we’re
1
quantifying,” says Dave. “They
find the goal of ending hunger
0
inspiring but the fact that we are
Children not receiving
Children receiving
summer SNAP benefits
summer SNAP benefits
quantifying it has inspired their
confidence.” That confidence
*Very low food security = hunger. Results shown here cover the three states where benefits
translates into financial and
were delivered through SNAP.
human resources and greater
Source: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (2013). Based on U.S. Department of
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