UWCF funds services that provide healthy foods while simultaneously providing education, financial stability, health, and other basic needs resources.

Thousands of families with children live below the “Household Survival Budget” in Polk, Highlands and Hardee County. These hardworking families do not earn enough money to pay typical rent, utilities or childcare and, even with food stamps, cannot afford to feed their families three meals a day.

In Polk, 80,140 individuals, 11.2% of the population, are unsure they will have enough food to feed their families three meals a day. 25,590 children in Polk County do not know if food will be available when they are hungry. 

3,670 people, or 14.3%, of Hardee County residents live with food insecurity. 1,200 of them are children.

The Highlands County Food Insecurity Rate is 13,430, or 13.3%; 3,190 are children.