(NDMN) Pantry Desert

A story map was completed by a student at Notre Dame to demonstrate food deserts in South Bend and to begin to explore the concept of pantry deserts. My hope is that this data mine project will expand how to illustrate the concept of a pantry desert and to better define the term. We believe that census tract data can be utilized to identify the areas of highest need and areas of the lowest amount of free food resources. This data can be utilized to identify locations where community pantries/mobile distribution sites are needed so that free food resources can be more effectively distributed especially for minority populations who struggle with higher food insecurity rates in 99% of US counties. One could reasonably conclude that level of poverty and level of food insecurity is strongly corelated. We believe with the use of data and better planning that food insecurity among the most disadvantaged can be solved and/or improved significantly by utilizing census tract information to better direct free food resources and capital investments to the areas of highest need.