By: Emma Hale
Millions of children and families in America have to face hunger. Only to add on top of that, but the Feeding America Association says with the effects of a global pandemic, 54 million people are expected to deal with hunger in 2020. That is 1 out of every 4 kids who don’t know when their next meal will be.
The problem is that not enough people recognize this social issue. The effects of hunger are crucial on children, especially in the first three years of their life. Being hungry creates such a disadvantage for younger children causing them to be hospitalized and increase the risk of severe health issues.
Statistics:
- Children are the most common group in America to face insecurities
- 54 million people, 18 million which are children are experiencing hunger in the latest report of 2020
- 22 million children rely on the free school lunches
So many stories and perspectives of people actually going through this issue and fighting to get food are looked over way to much. The story of DeAdra and her 3-year old only touches the surface of all the other stories out there. Not only is DeAdra facing the problem of providing food for her family but is also dealing with the mental health issues of her son. “I have spent many days going to sleep with an empty stomach” DeAdra said. Positions like this make it even more difficult on parents who are working three jobs but also have to cover expenses of their children as well.
Not only is this a harsh situation on families but many people have spoken up on how the less expensive foods are the unhealthiest. Brittany shares her story about how she goes about finding healthier foods to provide at the table for her family. Hunger and obesity often go hand in hand and healthy foods aren’t affordable for low-income households, allowing them to only buy the cheaper but high calorie food items.
The numbers in reports show the increase of hunger in America each year. Not only did they increase this year, but to add the global pandemic on top of that leaving many jobless and no food in their pantry. One resource that both DeAdra and Brittany used were their local food pantries. The Feeding America organization distributes more than 4.3 billion each year to food pantries all across America. Wanting to make a change can start with a simple task like donating a cereal or canned good to a food pantry. Even though it may seem small, it makes a huge difference to the families out there going through a harsh time.
Sources:
-“Real Stories of Hunger.” Feeding America, www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/real-stories-of-hunger.
-“Why Does America Have so Many Hungry Kids?” LaVon Group, Inc., 14 June 2017, lavongroup.com/america-many-hungry-kids/.
-“11 Facts About Hunger in the US.” DoSomething.org, www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-hunger-us.