Food Security & Nutrition Access

Our City's Challenge

New Orleans faces a pressing food security crisis, with 62,320 residents—16.4% of Orleans Parish—experiencing food insecurity. This challenge particularly affects our senior population, who face some of the highest food insecurity rates among U.S. metropolitan areas. While 21.6% of our community receives SNAP benefits, access remains uneven, with some neighborhoods having multiple grocery stores while others have none.

Taking Action

The New Orleans Health Department is actively addressing these disparities through partnerships with four community organizations. Together, we're developing programs to improve food access across our city.

Food and Nutrition Insecurity in New Orleans Report

Food Access Partners

In 2023, the New Orleans Health Department (NOHD) selected four food-based community organizations to serve as sub-recipients of funding received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). These recipients will provide direct services to New Orleans communities that address food insecurity in the city. Learn more about them and their projects below!

Second Harvest Food Bank

Second Harvest is expanding its existing food banking and nutrition education programs. Second Harvest purchases and distributes a wide variety of healthy foods to food-insecure New Orleanians via its extensive partnerships with local food pantries and community organizations throughout the city. This funding will help them expand their operations and compensate for the decrease in food donations from retailers caused by supply chain issues and inflation.

More Information Here

Top Box Foods

This group created a special "produce prescription" program for people in need. Participants will:

Get grocery deliveries twice a month
Learn how to access food resources
Receive help signing up for food assistance programs

More Information Here

Market Umbrella

They'll expand their Market Match program, which helps people use food stamps more effectively. The program doubles the value of food stamp benefits at local markets, helping people buy more fresh food.

More Information Here