ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monroe County and all of its nine surrounding counties have all seen an increase in food insecurity, according to report from the Feeding America Network that Foodlink shared on Wednesday.

The food insecurity rate has climbed from 9.3% in 2021 to 12% in 2022 for the 10 county region that Foodlink serves. That’s the sharpest increase since the Great Recession.

The USDA considers a household to be food insecure if, at times, it lacks access to enough food for a healthy, active life. About 33,580 more people in the region have faced food insecurity in 2022 compared the previous year.

The data also shows that the Upper Falls and Marketview Heights neighborhoods in Rochester has the third highest rate of hunger out of anywhere in the state, at nearly 30%.

The report attributes the increase in hunger to the sudden rise in inflation and the expiration of several pandemic-era assistance programs like the Child Tax Credits, Free School Meals, and increase in SNAP benefits.

Mark Dwyer, the marketing and communications manager for Foodlink, spoke to News10NBC TODAY about the growing need for food assistance ahead of the report’s release.

Foodlink distributes about 10,000 meals and snacks a day. Dwyer says that many of Foodlink’s hundreds of food pantry partners across the region have see an increased demand.

One way Foodlink seeks to combat hunger is by distributing healthy meals to afterschool programs at libraries, rec centers, and other locations.

“We’re kind of set apart from other organizations where we really focus on nutrition. We’re trying to get fresh produce, lean proteins, diary, all the food groups that kids need to thrive and be their best in school. We try to get those into every meal that we make,” Dwyer said.

Foodlink also runs the Curbside Market, a fleet of vehicles that go throughout the area to sell fresh, affordable produce to communities that lack access.

You can see the summary of the data here: