March Library: Civics: Action Project: Food Insecurity

Databases

Keywords to consider:

hunger
"food deserts"
"food security"
"food availability"
"food banks"
poverty

Use quotation marks to limit results to exact phrases. You can also add in geographic keywords like "Alexandria, VA," or "Northern Virginia," or "Washington, DC," but be aware that doing so may limit your search too much.

March Library databases to search:

ABC-Clio Issues
This database helps students develop an in-depth understanding of how society shapes and is shaped by controversy, providing authoritative historical context, expert perspectives, and carefully selected primary and secondary sources on today's most important issues.
Access World News Research Collection
Provides primary sources from thousands of global sources including content in 15 languages, including Spanish. Key word searching and suggested searches support critical thinking and classroom activities. This resource brings real world events to classroom learning. Includes access to the Alexandria Gazette Packet from 2002-present.
Gale in Context: Global Issues
This database offers international viewpoints on a broad spectrum of global issues, topics, and current events.
ProQuest Global Newsstream
Global Newsstream enables users to search the most recent global news content, as well as archives which stretch back into the 1980s. Full text coverage of Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post.This product provides one of the largest collections of news from the US, Canada, Europe, Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Australia.
Statista
Categorized into over 20 market sectors, Statista provides business customers, researchers, and the academic community with direct access to relevant quantitative facts on media, finance, politics, and many more areas of interest.

Local Government Sources

How to Contact your Elected Officials

Local Media

Alexandria/Arlington:

Alexandria Gazette Packet (also indexed in Access World News)
Alexandria Times
Alexandria Living
Patch: Old Town Alexandria, VA
SunGazette (Arlington/Fairfax)
ARLnow (also indexed in Access World News)
ALXnow (also indexed in Access World News)
Arlington Magazine
Inside NoVa (Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, Stafford, Culpeper, Fauquier and Loudoun counties)
WTOP News - Alexandria VA

Washington, DC:

The Washington Post (indexed in ProQuest Global Newsstream)
The Washington Times (also indexed in Access World News)
The Eagle (American University paper; also indexed in Access World News)
Washington City Paper
Washingtonian
WETA (PBS affiliate and Public Radio station)
WJLA (ABC affiliate)
WRC (NBC affiilate)
WTTG (Fox affiliate)
WUSA (CBS affiliate)
WAMU (American University Public Radio)
WTOP (News radio)

Organizations

Capital Area Food Bank
"The Capital Area Food Bank is the anchor of the hunger relief infrastructure in our region, providing more than 60 million meals to people in communities across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia."
City of Alexandria Food Assistance
"Information and resources for Alexandria residents who may need food assistance."
Feeding America
"Feeding America is the largest charity working to end hunger in the United States. We partner with food banks, food pantries, and local food programs to bring food to people facing hunger. We advocate for policies that create long-term solutions to hunger."
Food Insecurity among the Overall Population in Alexandria City (Local info from Feeding America)
"Since 2011, Feeding America has produced the Map the Meal Gap study, providing estimates of local food insecurity and food costs on an annual basis to better understand people and places facing hunger and to inform decisions and actions that will help us achieve our mission." This page is the Alexandria map
Hunger Free Alexandria
"Hunger Free Alexandria (HFA) is a community-based coalition of food providers, faith-based communities, schools, social service organizations, and advocates for ending hunger. Our mission is to coordinate community efforts to raise awareness of food insecurity and to increase reliable access to nutritious, culturally appropriate food in the City of Alexandria."