News

October 1, 2025

Map the Meal Gap: Navigating the Fight to End Hunger

We reference Map the Meal Gap often because the data tells a powerful story.

  • 100% of counties and congressional districts in the United States are home to people facing food insecurity.
  • In the Regional Food Bank’s 23-county service area 2% of the population, more than 355,000 people, are food insecure.
  • 1 in 8 neighbors (and 1 in 7 children) in our region face food insecurity.

The only study of its kind, Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap provides a county-by-county breakdown of food insecurity across the United States, pinpointing exactly how many meals are needed to close the gap between those who have enough to eat and those who don’t.

The goal is to equip local communities with the data they need to combat hunger effectively. By focusing on and understanding food insecurity at the local level, organizations like the Regional Food Bank can work with partners, community leaders, and policymakers to tailor efforts to meet the specific needs of our communities.

We can also work with people like you to make sure we have the resources needed to combat food insecurity in your community. In short, it allows us to develop solutions that are equitable and fair for all counties, by making sure they are tailored to a specific community.

With these tailored efforts, the Regional Food Bank distributed 54 million pounds of food in 2024. But the recently released 2025 numbers show that the meal gap continues to grow. Here is how you can help your community close the gap.

  • Make a monetary gift. $0.95 of every dollar donated goes directly to those in need.
  • Donate food to the Regional Food Bank or your local pantry. Food items and non-perishable goods such as canned vegetables, pasta, rice, and peanut butter are always in high demand.
  • Volunteer your time by organizing food drives, sorting and packing food for distribution, or spending time at your local food pantry.

Map the Meal Gap is a call to action, providing us with accurate, localized data, and empowering us to work together to create strategies to fight hunger more effectively than ever before.