What does emergency preparedness have to do with food banks? Natural disasters aren’t the only emergencies you have to be ready for. You also have to prepare for man-made disasters and civil unrest. The Federal Emergency Management Agency and state governments continue to warn that we could face a terrorist attack, and they suggest that your preparations include home, office and vehicle survival and kits. However, there are also the attacks to consider from hungry looters and others due to an escalating economic crisis. The New York Daily News Reports:
The number of emergency meals provided to the city’s hungry has jumped in every borough since 2006, with the Queens tally topped only by that in the Bronx, which saw a 110% boost. In Brooklyn the jump was 75% and in Manhattan 62%. The smallest increase was 29% for Staten Island.
340,000 households across the city are now considered “food insecure” – meaning that these families are unsure when or how they will get their next meal – with 53,285 in the Bronx.
“Because of the bad economy, New York families that typically donate food, warm clothes and other basics to those in need just can’t afford to this year,” Gillibrand said. “As a result, food bank shelves have gone bare, and hunger and food insecurity have reached disturbing, historic highs.”
That’s why being informed about these stories are important. It will help you to keep your pulse on just how bad things are getting. It will also keep you in the right mindset of being prepared.