A recent news article highlighted a bill currently being written by Iowa representatives to establish an Emergency Food Program in the state. This is not the only state across the country that has no plan in place; in fact, there are 12 states that do not have one. The Food Bank of Iowa, among other establishments, gathered statistics in support of the bill. Almost one-third of a million Iowans currently deal with food insecurity, and this is without any natural disaster nor the recession falling further as some fear could happen in the near future.
It’s tough to imagine what food insecurity is unless you’ve been in those shoes. It’s a humbling experience that all wish they didn’t have to deal with. Once financially successful people now find themselves in a state they would never have expected–requiring the assistance of state emergency food programs, food banks, and other avenues for providing food security.
Worse to think, if a natural disaster were to hit hard in any particular area, the already-overwhelmed food banks and government programs would not likely be prepared. Especially considering nearly 25% of all states don’t have an emergency program in place, what would the different state governments do if such a natural disaster took place that overwhelmed the federal government’s programs and actions?
If these figures sound bad, what percentage of family households do you think have an Emergency Preparedness Plan or Emergency Food Plan in case of financial troubles or natural disasters? It’s scary to think how many families would be completely unprepared if our current water and food supply were cut today. No water from our taps? Grocery stores no longer stocked? On the flipside of the state-related statistic, if even 25% of people actually did have a plan, it would likely be great news. Unfortunately, it’s probably less.
If you are one of those that are unprepared, don’t feel alone; a lot of families don’t have emergency food plans as much as most wish they could. But where do you begin? What is the first step in getting an emergency food plan in place? Listed below are a few steps to help guide you from having nothing to a full-blown food insurance program for you and your family.
1. Make a “budget” of your storage space. The first step is what often keeps people from gathering their food supplies: making room in your storage area. You rarely hear someone complain about having “too much space;” it’s never easy to make extra room in an already crowded space. Nevertheless, in the same frame of mind you have when you budget your income for various insurances (car, health and home), do the same with space for your other essential insurance: emergency food supply.
2. Collect the ideal food–both in size and taste. While deciding about your water supply is simple, picking food for your emergency supply opens up lots of possibilities. Canned foods are a good option, but they can take up more space than other types of food storage, and can hamper your variety and taste. Freeze-dried food and dehydrated food are a very popular source for savvy people. Many online companies today sell freeze-dried pre-made meals at a lower cost, thanks to having no physical-store overhead. They offer small supplies to large bulk to accommodate all customers. Since the premade-and-ready food is freeze dried or dehydrated, its mass takes up less space than canned foods. In addition to this, companies selling freeze dried meals invest in cooks to create better tasting meals. Some sellers are so confident in their own product, they offer free samples to prove their product’s good quality. Most agree it beats opening a can of cream of mushroom for dinner.
3. Set definitive steps to obtain your goal of having an emergency food plan. New Years Day isn’t the only time to set new goals and resolutions. Putting down dates to make your storage space ready, your money budgeted and time set aside, will help you have your food storage ready, giving you and your family additional peace of mind.
Get prepared by choosing the absolute best at food storage and survival food products.