As one of the projects outside our Enrichment and Development programs, Square Knot Kids is working to help reduce food insecurity and provide hunger relief to the kids of Johnston County and Wake County, North Carolina.

According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Action Plan for Nutrition Security, about 10.9% of North Carolina’s population (approximately 1.2 million people) are experiencing food insecurity plus it is higher than the national average rate of 10.4%. Within the North Carolina’s average rate of 10.9%, approximately 394,000 are kids and one in six are facing hunger. 

In 2021, Johnston County had a 12.9% rate for food insecurity among kids under the age of 18 according research by Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Report.

Our goal is to contribute to reducing the food insecurity in Johnston County through our Annual Youth Day event which we are currently examining it being semi-annual to increase the impact.