Google is combating food insecurity with the launch of its new website called Find Food Support, which includes a Google Map locator tool and destigmatizing online resources.

The tech giant collaborated with No Kid Hungry, FoodFinder and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to pinpoint 90,000 locations with free food support across the country and has plans to add even more.

Making up the bulk of the new website is the Google Maps locator tool, which can be used to find the nearest food bank, food pantry or school lunch program pickup site. Users can search their location in the tool, and it will show them their addresses, phone numbers, and the days and hours they're operational.

The website has additional food support resources, including links to Meals on Wheels to help seniors find programs near them, a database of state benefit websites and a number of national hotlines for more food assistance options. Users can also find information on how to donate food, time and money to support those in need around them.

Find Food Support says its goal is to end the stigma around food insecurity, and the website features videos of people from across the country sharing how it affects their lives and stories about how they give back.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Although most households in the United States are considered food secure, meaning they have consistent, dependable access to enough food for active, healthy living, there is a significant portion of the population that experiences inadequate access to food because of a lack of resources.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 10.5% of U.S. households were considered food insecure by the United States Department of Agriculture, representing about 13.7 million households.

Food insecurity is more common in households at or below the poverty line, households with children, single-parent households, adults living alone, Black- and Hispanic-headed households, and households in principal cities and rural areas.

The pandemic exacerbated food insecurity, and now more than 42 million people, including up to 13 million children, may be facing inadequate access to food, according to Feeding America.

Food insecurity is a social determinant of health, as it puts adults at an increased risk for chronic conditions and puts children at risk for developmental issues, according to the American Hospital Association. It can also lead to an increase in hospital readmissions, medical treatments and adverse health outcomes.

THE LARGER TREND

Fighting disparate health outcomes by addressing the social determinants of health has emerged as a key theme from the pandemic.

For its part, Google has released a number of tools during the pandemic, including a vaccine locator to help support an equitable vaccine distribution and more recently the Health Equity Tracker, which highlights the disparate impacts of COVID-19 on marginalized communities.

Other startups that leverage technology to address the social determinants of health include NowPow, which last year partnered with the Chicago Department of Public Health; Cityblock, which earlier this year landed $192 million in a Series C extension funding round; and Unite Us, which closed a $150 million Series C funding round in March.

ON THE RECORD

“There’s a long way to go to fully solving the hunger crisis in the U.S. and around the globe, but we hope Find Food Support helps connect people in the U.S. to free food and assistance in their time of need,” Emily Ma, the head of Food for Good, wrote in Google’s announcement.