Smoothing the path to fighting food insecurity By Christina Severin and Erin McAleer July 30, 2021Reprints Xavrien Francois distributes groceries from The Boys and Girls Republic to families in need throughout the Lower East Side in New York in October 2020. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Many Americans take good nutrition for granted. They shouldn’t. Hunger is a growing problem in the U.S. In 2019, more than 1 in every 10 American households suffered from food insecurity, meaning that they lacked access to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members. The Covid-19 pandemic made things worse. The need for food assistance increased as millions of families — according to one estimate, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. households across the country — experienced food insecurity, the result of pandemic-related factors such as job loss. Quarantines and social distancing made it harder to get to affordable grocery stores and for food relief organizations to provide food safely.