OFTENTIMES, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES GO HAND IN HAND WITH EXTERNAL
ISSUES. SUCH AS FOOD
INSECURITY.
IN THIS WEEKS HELLO
IDAHO, CHASE BIEFELDT
GETS THE CONVERSATION
GOING WITH A MENTAL
HEALTH PROFESSIONAL
AND THE IDAHO FOOD
BANK TO EXPLAIN FOOD
INSECURITY, AND HOW
ONE CAN AFFECT THE
OTHER.
OTHER.
HELLO
HELLO DOCTOR WOODY. "HI CHASE, HOW ARE YOU?"
I'M DOING GREAT,
THANKS FOR ASKING. WE
ALSO HAVE MISS MORGAN
WILSON FROM THE IDAHO
FOOD BANK JOINING US
TODAY. MORGAN HOW
ARE YOU?
"I'M WELL. THANK YOU,
GREAT TO BE HERE."
LET'S TALK ABOUT FOOD
INSECURITY. CAN YOU
EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS?
"IT MEANS THAT A
PERSON AT TIMES LACKS
THE ADEQUATE
NUTRITION TO LIVE A
HEALTHY, ACTIVE
LIFESTYLE. SO IT COULD
MEAN THAT A PERSON IS
SKIPPING MEALS OR IT
COULD MEAN THAT THEY
ARE GOING WITHOUT
MEALS FOR A LONGER
TIME PERIOD, BUT
OVERALL, IT JUST MEANS
THEY DON'T HAVE THE
FOOD THEY NEED TO BE
HEALTHY."
CAN YOU KINDA
CONCEPTUALIZE THIS
CONCEPTUALIZE THIS
PROBLEM
PROBLEM FOR US HERE IN IDAHO? HOW MANY PEOPLE DOES THIS
AFFECT?
"THE GOOD NEWS WAS,
PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC
WE WERE ACTUALLY
SEEING EXACTLY WHAT WE
WOULD LIKE. THE NUMBER
OF FOOD INSECURE
INDIVIDUALS WAS
COMING DOWN TO
NUMBERS
NUMBERS PRIOR TO THE GREAT RECESSION LEVELS. ABOUT ONE IN NINE
PEOPLE WERE
EXPERIENCING HUNGER.
TO PUT THAT INTO A
NUMBER FOR YOU, THAT'S
ABOUT 189,000 PEOPLE.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT
DID INCLUDE ONE IN
EIGHT OF OUR KIDS AS
WELL, SO ABOUT 98,000
OF OUR KIDS WERE
EXPERIENCING HUNGER."
MORGAN YOU
MENTIONED ONE IN EIGHT
KIDS ARE HUNGRY RIGHT
NOW IN IDAHO. DR.
WOODY, I WANT TO GO
BACK TO YOU. CAN YOU
EXPLAIN THE AFFECT THAT
HUNGER HAS ON A
CHILD'S
CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT? "FROM A DEVELOPMENTAL MOTOR
STANDPOINT - STRENGTH,
ENDURANCE, ALL KINDS
OF PHYSICAL AND MENTAL
PROCESSES ARE
NEGATIVELY IMPACTED
AND THAT INCLUDES THE
CHILD'S EMOTIONAL
STATUS."
THIS CERTAINLY IS AN
UNPRECEDENTED TIME
WE'RE LIVING IN WITH
THIS PANDEMIC. ARE WE
SEEING COVID-19 HAVING
EFFECTS HERE ON HUNGER
HERE IN IDAHO?
"WE ARE CHASE. WE
ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS
TO RESEARCH THAT WAS
DONE ON THE NATIONAL
LEVEL, BUT REALLY GOES
DOWN TO THE COUNTY
BY COUNTY LEVEL. THESE
ARE BASED ON 11.5%
UNEMPLOYMENT, AND
LUCKILY HERE IN IDAHO
WE ARE NOT AT THAT
LEVEL, WHICH IS
WONDERFUL FOR OUR
FAMILIES AND FOR OUR
WHOLE STATE. THAT BEING
SAID, IF THE PANDEMIC
WERE TO CONTINUE AND
WE WERE TO REACH
THOSE LEVELS, WE WOULD
BE POSSIBLY LOOKING AT
ONE IN SIX IDAHOANS
FACING HUNGER, AND
THAT WOULD INCLUDE
ONE IN FOUR OF OUR
CHILDREN."
SO FOOD INSECURITY IS
OBVIOUSLY A VERY
RELEVANT PROBLEM HERE
IN IDAHO, SO HOW CAN
WE GO ABOUT HELPING
OUR HUNGRY NEIGHBORS
BOTH PHYSICALLY AND
PSYCHOLOGICALLY.
MORGAN, WE'LL START
WITH YOU.
"WE HAVE OUR
BACKPACK PROGRAM AS
WELL AS OUR SCHOOL
PANTRY PROGRAM, BOTH
WILL BE IN PLACE IN THIS
YEAR, AS WE WORK WITH
THE SCHOOLS ONE ON
ONE
ONE TO
ONE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WILL WORK BEST FOR THEM AND THEIR
FAMILIES AS WE COME
BACK TO THIS SCHOOL
TIME IN A DIFFERENT
CLIMATE."
"CHILDREN AND ADULTS
BOTH HAVE A SENSE OF
SHAME AND ISOLATION
WHEN THEY'RE NOT SURE
WHERE
WHERE THEIR NEXT MEAL WILL COME FROM. I THINK IN KEEPING OUR PUSH
WITH HELLO IDAHO
NEIGHBORS WHO ARE
AWARE SHOULD REACH
OUT AND DON'T HESITATE
TO MAKE OVERTURES TO
FOLKS IF YOU REALLY
THINK THEY'RE IN A
SITUATION. THAT FEELING
OF ISOLATION IS
SOMETHING THAT
COMPOUNDS WHAT IS
VERY CLEARLY MOOD
DISORDERS AND ANXIETY
DISORDERS FOR FOLKS
WHO REALLY DO HAVE
FOOD INSECURITY ISSUES."
IF
IF YOU
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE STRUGGLING WITH FOOD
INSECURITY, POINT THEM TO THE IDAHO FOOD BANK'S FOOD ASSISTANCE
LOCATOR.
THAT LINK WILL BE ON
KTVB.COM.
AND DON'T FORGET THAT
HELP IS AVAILABLE IF YOU
OR A LOVED ONE IS
EXPERIENCING SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS.
DON'T HESITATE TO CALL
THE IDAHO SUICIDE
PREVENTION HOTLINE AT 208-398-4357.