Community Food Insecurity

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Recent surveys and discussions have found Muskingum County is struggling with food insecurities.

“Everybody is struggling whether they have jobs or they don’t have jobs, Zanesville is struggling,” said Salvation Army Program Volunteer Coordinator Terra Kencsan.

Kencsan has seen many people come in and ask for help. Whether they have well-paying jobs or not. They’ve come in for fresh food and supplies and she’s not the only whose seen this.

“So 211 every month receives an average of 300 to 400 calls from right here in our community for that need for food,” United Way’s Community Impact Director Becky Clawson said. “Some of that is emergency based need like a one-time thing and some of it is an ongoing need. Every month we’re consistently seeing 300 to 400 calls.”

Clawson said people will use their 211 system to gain access to the Muskingum County Hunger Network Pantry System. Now the community is trying to change that. The Zanesville-Muskingum Health Department started a community health assessment.

“So we’re in the stages right now of working with other community members, other agencies, and finding out what’s going on,” Community Health Planner Kylie Jones said. “Looking at the local food groups we have here locally and really what we can do together. What can we do as a community together to address food insecurity?”

“It’s the community, the community gets together and they work together and this is how we get this,” Kencsan said. “So we partner up with United Way, the Hunger Networks, and all these different programs. It’s the community that runs these programs. So it’s the community that provides this. So we really need the community to stick together, because without that community this town won’t survive.”

United Way of Muskingum Perry and Morgan Counties, the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department, The Salvation Army and many others will continue to supply each other with knowledge, material items, and a plan to combat the food insecurities.