Your Support Empowers Women Experiencing Hunger

March is Women’s History Month – a time to celebrate women’s achievements and contributions to American History. We honor women in our community who support families impacted by the gender hunger gap. March 26 is Equal Pay Day, and we encourage you to learn more about the issues facing women and children. 

At the Food Bank, we address the root causes of hunger as we build a future where no one goes hungry.  

Women and Food Insecurity

Women, especially single mothers, are more likely to face food insecurity than their single male, cohabitating, and married counterparts. According to the USDA’s most recent data on food insecurity, 13.7% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity in 2024. Single women with children accounted for 36.8% of these households, while women living alone accounted for 16.2%. These numbers are higher for women of color.  

At the root of these statistics is the gender wage gap. In the U.S., women who work full-time, year-round, earn 85 cents on the dollar compared to men. And mothers working full-time were paid 74 cents for every dollar paid to fathers in 2024. More than two-thirds of single mothers work full-time and earn $17,000 less than their male counterparts each year. Yet, they are the breadwinners for 80% of single-parent households. 

Women also assume more of the caregiver responsibilities than their male counterparts, not just for children but also for parents and other family members. In addition to the gendered wage gap, women can also experience additional economic hardship: 

• The pink tax refers to the increased cost of consumer goods tailored to women as compared to men. On average, a woman will spend $18,000 on feminine hygiene products during her lifetime.*
• While government-funded programs provide some support for childcare costs, essentials such as diapers and wipes are not covered.
• Women’s healthcare costs also outpace those of their male counterparts. Women ages 18-44 spend close to 48% more on healthcare than men.*

Women Filling the Need in Central & Eastern North Carolina 

Hunger impacts more than 600,000 households in our region, including 1 in 5 children. Across our 34-county service area, community leaders are providing meals to mothers facing food insecurity. 

Dawn Ellis is the Founder and Executive Director of Share the Table, which supports families through community meals and a food pantry. The organization’s Meals Until No Child Hungers (MUNCH) program supplies food to students in the Topsail Beach area. 

I think it’s important to show and be an example of what it means to be a leader in the community. My work is less about providing assistance but more about encouraging and empowering our community.

– Dawn Ellis, Founder & Executive Director of Share the Table

Rev. Barbara Hubbard, Associate Pastor at St. Julia AME Zion Church, recognized that some of her congregants needed food assistance. Each week, Rev. Hubbard delivered food to at least 20 households. As the needs in her community grew, Rev. Hubbard expanded her distribution to households across Onslow County with the help of more than 20 volunteers and a partnership with the Food Bank. 

For me, it’s a special calling that gives me opportunities to minister to my community inside and outside of the church’s four walls. I don’t take this for granted.

– Rev. Barbara Hubbard, St. Julia AME Zion Church

Addressing Food Insecurity 

To solve food insecurity and its overwhelming impact on women and children, we must understand the policies and practices, including gender inequality and the gender wage gap, that contribute to hunger and poverty.  

• Why women are especially vulnerable to facing food insecurity
• Equal Pay Day
• Gender Economic Inequality 

Want to take the next step to provide needed food to women in our area? Thanks to our generous partners, donations are being matched this month. Making a donation today can double the support we can give to hunger relief efforts that center the needs of women and children.
 

*Data source: National Organization of Women 

**US Department of Health and Human Services