Google launches new website, connecting families to nearby food pantries

Nearly one in seven Americans do not know where their next meal will come from. This is roughly 45 million people in 2020, including 15 million children. That’s a nearly 30 percent increase from 2019.

"The projected increase was nearly 23% in food insecurity in Wake County." said Dr. Christopher Paul, a food security research professor at North Carolina Central University.

Paul conducted a study in fall of 2020. He found that 20% of people in the state are looking for food assistance. According to Feeding America, 1.4 million people in North Carolina are food insecure, including 400,000 kids.

A spokesperson for Google says food pantry searches have also increased worldwide.

Julie Tarallo McAlister, Google communications and public affairs spokesperson, said searches are up for "things like SNAP benefits, food pantries and food banks near me. So we know this is a problem and people are looking to find help."

Using Find Food Support, families can look up nearby food pantries and resources by zip code.

"It’ll pop up various locations throughout the area that you can search for. This map locator tool also provides information such as hours of operation and a phone number for the organizations and hours of operation and when they’re distributing," McAlister said.

"Millions of kids lose access to free school lunches that they receive throughout the school year. This website also provides school lunch pick-up programs that will be operating throughout the summer so families can still get access to free meals for their kids during summer months," McAlister said.

Paul says a web site is great for families with Internet access, but the digital divide remains a huge gap.

"Unfortunately technological tools don’t fix it, and, really, it implies the importance of community-based programs and each of us as individuals, watching out for our neighbors and our communities," Paul said.

For those who do not have Internet access, experts suggest connecting with a local non-profit organization for food assistance.