The old saying goes, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” But what if all of the fish have gone downstream? What if his fishing rod broke? What if he’s too sick to go outside? What if he catches a fish, but has to share it with a family of four? These are the questions I ask when I hear this saying. Its intended message is that when we teach someone a skill, they can independently help themselves. However, I think the saying is fundamentally flawed.
Why should we expect that a problem can be fixed once and never need further attention? Is giving the fish implying that this act of goodness promotes laziness or is too temporary to be truly meaningful? What messages do we want to send about food, the most basic of human rights, and how much work should be involved in accessing it?
Food insecurity is a serious problem across the United States, affecting 47 million people annually. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) has been in the headlines recently, since the 2025 federal government shutdown is causing a lapse in these benefits for the first time in US history. Feeding America explains that food insecurity is, “when people don’t have enough to eat and don’t know where their next meal will come from.” We know that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to be food insecure, particularly Black and Native American communities. This demonstrates that historic inequities still impact the lived realities of so many in this country.
We also know that food insecurity and sexual violence are deeply linked issues.
Food insecurity leads to sexual violence. One third of homeless youth engage in survival sex, and 48% of those who do this trade sex for food or a place to stay. Survivors may also stay with their abusive partners because they need food access for themselves or their children.
Conversely, sexual violence leads to food insecurity. Escaping from an abusive home, trauma impacting one’s ability to work, and isolation from family and other support systems due to an abusive relationship all lead to restricted food access. The lifetime cost of rape also shows that there are a variety of expenses post-assault like doctors, mental health treatment, and legal fees. This added financial strain can make it harder to purchase food.
Furthermore, both food insecurity and sexual violence lead to eating disorders. Sexual trauma can manifest in a variety of ways, including a variety of eating disorders, that stems from a desire for control or a sense of bodily shame. People who are periodically food insecure may engage in disordered eating as well due to their inconsistent access to food or poor mental health conditions that come with living in poverty.
All of this is our current reality…but what if it weren’t? What if we dared to dream of a better future? What sorts of community-level prevention solutions would be in that future?
What if we had school lunch programs that were widely accessible and did not have a culture of shame that prevented students from using them?
What if we held community educational events to help eligible people enroll in food assistance programs (like the 9 million eligible older adults currently not enrolled in SNAP)?
What if we had community gardens where everyone could grow their favorite foods (especially if they do not have their own yard space) and share it among their neighbors, no questions asked?
What if we invested in teaching community members about edible plants, canning, and how to garden?
What if we trained food pantry staff to be trauma-informed by avoiding invasive questions, letting people choose their own items, and have resources on-hand for local rape crisis centers or other local victim services organizations?
What if we removed income requirements to food programs so that those who did not meet that economic threshold but have other large expenses could still get food on the table?
What if we held community food justice classes that educated people about the root causes of food insecurity, inspired mutual aid programs, and taught about various food foraging and preparation skills?
What if we regarded food security as a matter of public safety and mutually understood it was a top priority?
We will never get any of these answers if we don’t dare to ask the questions.