The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food security as “access at all times by all people within a household to enough food for an active, healthy life.” I think we can all agree that not all Americans are so fortunate as to share food security to the same degree. The homeless are an example of food insecurity.

If you Google "food security," you will find its four pillars: food must be available, able to be accessed, utilized properly and stable in its supply. Food insecurity is caused by natural hazards like drought, conflict (wars, etc.), population growth and simply neglect. For the homeless, can our industry help with some of the food security pillars and certainly the "neglect" part of food insecurity?

I am in Portland, Ore., and on my daily walks through the downtown area and along the Willamette River I am overwhelmed by the homelessness I witness, plus the lost vitality of the Portland city core. Portland once supported vibrant restaurants and other businesses that are now boarded up or shuttered possibly for good.

We could argue ad nauseum about the destruction of the city’s core by the myriad of protests that have stretched on for nearly a year now. However, my focus here is what we as an industry can do to provide some form of food security to those suffering from homelessness, because it has become systemic in Portland and maybe your home city as well. Helping the homeless will help revitalize the city.

Homeless households are often part of tent cities replete with the detritus of living on the streets. Scattered rotting food waste, or their containers and wrappers attest to a less-than-ideal diet. From such garbage, one could surmise that food security for those who are homeless is not meeting the USDA’s definition.

I suspect that homelessness in Portland is replicated in many of our major cities. I don’t know how to solve it and its randomness and proliferation testifies that neither do the politicians. Various Non-Governmental Organizations supporting agencies are working overtime to help, but it isn’t enough as the homeless population grows.

Like you, I frequently read of the philanthropic efforts of our meat and poultry companies often reported by Meatingplace. Their meat and poultry donations to food banks and other homeless helping institutions is admirable. I sincerely applaud those companies who make these donations often anonymously but no less fervently. This is a picture few outside of our industry see, but we on the inside do, and we can be proud of the effort.

Are there other actions we can take to help reduce homeless food insecurity? If you don’t think homelessness food insecurity is a problem, just look at any major city or contact those helpful organizations doing their damndest to provide some means of food security for the less fortunate and homeless.

In 2019, on any given night, 4,015 individuals were homeless in Portland. That might not seem like many in a city of 653,000. But I venture to say that with COVID that number has grown exponentially in 2020-21 as I see the tent cities’ explosive growth this past year.

Certainly, food donations are a godsend for those homeless who are fortunate enough to share. There must be more our meat and poultry industry trade organizations and companies can do to help, however.

Here are some of my ideas. Please tell me if they are practicable or workable, or not, and alternatives if they are not. First, what about job training and subsequent hiring? With our processing plants starving for employees now partially filled by immigrant workers, could we train and hire the homeless, providing jobs and thus a helping hand up? What about shelter? Could we work with local agencies to build modest shelters for the homeless as meaningful alternatives to sleeping on the streets? What about our meat and poultry companies adopting a city to rid it of homeless by working with governmental and non-governmental agencies to do so? And that’s just a start.

Are there other cures for food insecurity that plagues the homeless you have witnessed that could be applied by our industry to help? Please let us know.

Is our food supply secure for the homeless?

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