Introduction

Miami is the most prosperous city in Florida. While the average income per household in the area is relatively normal, there are people who do not have regular meals. Although food insecurity is not among the major problems of the city, an assessment of the aggregate is pivotal for realizing the needs of economically disadvantaged people. The present paper aims at evaluating the situation concerning food insecurity in Miami, Florida, and acquiring a comprehensive picture of the aggregate population in general.

Aggregate Information

Miami, Florida, is the most populous city of the state and is situated in Miami-Dade County. The city is a home for 463,347 people, 72.6% of which are white and 19.2% are African American (“Miami, Florida population 2018,” 2018). The median income per household is $25,600, which is lower than the national median earning rate of $31,100 (“Miami, Florida population 2018,” 2018). The poverty rate in the area is 27.63%, which is also higher than the US average of 12.7% (“Miami, Florida population 2018,” 2018). In short, while the city is one of prosperous in the state, the population of the area is more likely to face economic problems in comparison with the nationwide average.

The aggregate was chosen as the object for assessment for three primary reasons. First, Miami is the city of personal interest of the author as it has proven to be the most stimulating and rewarding to examine the area of the author’s origin. Second, it is beneficial to reveal the information about food insecure people as the problems of the population layer are rarely in focus. Third, valuable data about social organizations that work with economically disadvantaged people can be acquired to assist in addressing the issues.

Observation and Analysis

While the food insecurity rate is significantly lower in Miami-Dade County as compared to the other counties of the state, the number of people battling hunger in the area is substantial. According to Feeding South Florida [FSF] (2017), there are 237,340 people (9% of the county’s population) who do not have access to regular meals. Hence, approximately 41,700 Miami residents are likely to face hunger.

By comparing the data mentioned above, there comes an understanding that not everyone living below the poverty line in Miami is struggling to provide food for their tables. Moreover, 100% of the indicated population qualifies for SNAP (Foods Stamps) and other federal nutrition programs (FSF, 2017). In short, the central weakness of the aggregate is the vast number of people facing food insecurity, while the considerable strength is that government authorities address the situation appropriately.

Another advantage of the community is that non-government organizations (NGOs), such as FSF, also help to feed the population in need. FSF (2017) reports feeding 25% of all the people fighting food insecurity of the area thus providing considerable support to government organizations in the matter. Such organizations also provide individuals with the ability to help their neighbors in need through donations of food and funds. In short, NGOs have proven to be beneficial for addressing food insecurity according to self-reports.

The data used for the assessment was gathered through community reconnaissance and informant interviews. Stanhope and Lancaster (2016) state that local websites are “very revealing of community economics and civic engagement” (p. 410). Moreover, the conducted interviews provided crucial insights for understanding the actual lifestyle of the people battling hunger. The chosen data collection instruments have proven to be helpful for the cause of the present paper.

Conclusion

The aggregate assessment revealed that among the 12.7% of the aggregate population living below the poverty line only 71% are not sure they have the means to get their next meal. The essential weakness of Miami, Florida is the vast number of people facing food insecurity. However, the apparent strength of the area is that government and non-government organizations properly address the question by providing meals for the people in need. In conclusion, it is safe to say that although a considerable part of the Miami population is battling hunger, the community reacts to the matter appropriately by helping people through different means.

References

Feeding South Florida. (2017). Map the meal gap 2017. Web.

Miami, Florida population 2018. (2018). Web.

Stanhope, M. and Lancaster, J. (2016). Public health nursing: Population-centered health care in the community (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby.