As if all this foodie fabulousness isn’t already overwhelming, this week also marks the return of Las Vegas Restaurant Week, when hundreds of local restaurants dish up special menus at discounted prices to raise money and awareness for Three Square Food Bank and the community’s collective efforts to battle hunger and food insecurity.
Last year, $221,449 was raised during Restaurant Week, which equals 664,347 meals provided for more than 274,000 food-insecure Southern Nevadans. More than six million meals have been provided via Restaurant Week since it started in 2007.
Despite these major efforts, this year’s annual Map the Meal Gap study from Feeding America reports that local food insecurity is on the rise. One in seven locals qualify as food-insecure (defined by the USDA as having limited or uncertain access to enough food to live an active, healthy life), a total of 341,480 people, up from 67,050 last year. The food insecurity rate across Three Square’s service area including Clark, Lincoln, Nye and Esmeralda counties is up to 14.7% , from 12% last year. And one in five children (22%) in Southern Nevada are living in food-insecure households, up from 17.8% last year.
“Inflation and rising living expenses, especially grocery prices and rent, are causing financial strain for too many of our neighbors,” Beth Martino, Three Square president and CEO, said in a statement. “Our community needs help. Collective action from our volunteers, donors and community partners is essential in our ongoing mission to fight hunger and guarantee food security for every member of our community.”
To find out how you can help, visit threesquare.org/how-to-help. And of course you can help while you dine out at your favorite local restaurants during Restaurant Week, June 3-14, with that all-important list of participating locations and menus at restaurantweeklv.org.
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