Many will think hunger happens only in poor nations such as India, Africa or other small nations. They may not realize that in Country like US, the same problem exists but hidden from everyday life from people. People who American people in Television, Movies or any media may not realize that there are children and women going hungry in US currently.
Earlier, I used to feel that there was no hunger problem here in US, since I have grown up, I have come to realize that how misguided this picture was. While, people generally seemed richer here, Americans have problems just like any other country folks. There are many of us in US, constantly on diet program to lose weight from our unhealthy eating. While, we would hardly see any poor people or pan handlers in our daily life, there is hidden America that we do not see that often unless you are part of it. There are so many poor people in USA that they do not know where their next meal is coming from. Sad thing about it, many of them family with little kids who deserves to not go hungry and cared for as their parents probably would have go to low pay job just to survive. While there are churches, temple and other charitable organization helps but it is little and problem is too big and could use many hands from many people like us.
I hesitated to write about this topic before, as reality or truth is never pretty and quite harsh. However, I believe that if we truly want to be happy, we should want people around us to be happy.
- Why? Happiness is contagious, more happy people in world, world would be happy.
- Hungry people can not be happy, we all need our basic need met such as food, clean water, shelter, clothes, and caring and love in order to be happy and content.
We all know and may even help other kids (and we should) to Africa, Asia and Other poor to developing nations but do we know we have hungry kids in our own backyard?
Child Does not Have to Go Hungry
What does it like to feel hungry? Many of us are very lucky to have never find that harsh truth in life. Unfortunately many people in world adults, men and women are going hungry in Asia, Africa and other nation. Many of those who go hungry are children. The sad fact is many of them are in wealthy nation of ours in, USA.
There are many organizations are helping but it is not enough. Hunger and poverty are increasing at alarming rate in last 50 years compared to ever before.
According to bread.org site;
925 million people are hungry.
Every day, almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes. That’s one child every five seconds.
That fact alone will make you want to sit up and do something about it. No innocent child have to be hungry or unloved. Every little bit we can do can make a difference. It is like a ripple effect.
Hunger In America:
- We live in the world’s wealthiest nation USA, yet 13% of us are living in poor condition and are going hungry.
- One in four children live in homes that have problem having enough money to feed themselves. That is over 15 million American Children. That is shocking fact!
- As we do not see these children in our daily life, we can not know the dire situation they must live in.
There are nutrition and other helpful programs to help but it is not enough and many children are going hungry.
Here are some Hunger Facts:
- Nearly 14 million children are estimated to be served by Feeding America, over 3 million of which are ages 5 and under.
- According to the USDA, over 17 million children lived in food insecure (low food security and very low food security) households in 2009.
- 20% or more of the child population in 16 states and D.C. are living in food insecure households. The states of Arkansas (24.4 percent) and Texas (24.3 percent) have the highest rates of children in households without consistent access to food.(Cook, John, Child Food Insecurity in the United States: 2006-2008.
- 14.6% of U.S. households struggle to put enough food on the table. More than 49 million Americans—including 16.7 million children—live in these households.
Source: Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November 2009. (Table 1A, Table 1B) - Nearly one in four children is at risk of hunger. Among African-Americans and Latinos, one in three children is at risk of hunger.
Source: Household Food Security in the United States, 2008 . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service, November 2009. (Table 1B, Table 6).
Food Spending
- Low-income households already spend a greater share of their income on food. Food accounts for 17.1 percent of spending for households making less than $10,000 per year compared to the U.S. average of 12.6 percent.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Consumer Expenditure Survey, 2006.
Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
- One in every two babies born in the United States is enrolled in WIC.
Sources: Births: Preliminary Data for 2008 . National Vital Statistics Reports, Vul. 58, No. 16, April 2010. Annual Program Data for 2008. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. - Although 81.3 percent of eligible infants are enrolled in WIC, the program reaches just 47.3 percent of eligible children ages 1 to 4.
Source: WIC Eligibles and Coverage, 1994 to 2007: Estimates of the Population of Women, Infants and Children Eligible for WIC Benefits . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, September 2009. (Table 3).
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- About half of all American children will receive SNAP benefits at some point before age 20. Among African-American children, 90 percent will enroll in SNAP before age 20.
Source: “Estimating the Risk of Food Stamp Use and Impoverishment During Childhood,” Archives of Pediatric and Adulescent Medicine, Vul. 163 (No.11). November 2009. - One in eight people is enrolled in SNAP. Nearly half are children.
Sources:Monthly Program Data for January 2010. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: Fiscal Year 2008 . U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, October 2009. - SNAP participation has increased 44.3 percent above pre-recession levels, an increase of 12.1 million people.
Source:Monthly Program Data comparing January 2010 and November 2007. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service. - More than 90 percent of SNAP benefits are used up by the third week of the month.
Source: An Analysis of Food Stamp Benefit Redemption Patterns , Figure 4. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, June 2006.
Check out this video below for more information:
Closing Thoughts:
We can get rid of poverty if we all helped and not wasted food. Many people can blame this crisis in growing population around the world and say that there is not enough food for everyone. But many experts do not think it is to be truth. As Gandhiji said, “There is enough food for everybody but not enough for everyone’s greed”.
We are wasting so much food here, places such as costco and some restaurant throw away food instead of donating it to homeless folks or shelters who could use it. We also waste lot of personal food at home or eat unhealthy. Most of farms are growing corn that is fed to cattle for making meat. We are sure not living sustainable living and draining our earth’s natural resources into profit and waste.
What can we do?
I think most people are kind hearted and would help this cause, only if they knew how and where to help. Here are a few ways we can start it off.
- Check out for local homeless shelter or homeless hanging out area and donate some non-perishable food to them.
- We do not have wait until Christmas, charity begins at home, when we are ready.
- If you see anyone around you, who might have lost a job, or had major health issues, help them with food and other things as you provide.
- Just because we do not see poor people, does not mean they do not exist, seek them out and help.
- Before we judge any poor people for being lazy, dirty; give them compassion, care and help. I am sure there are a few people who might take advantage of the situation but 99% are hard working people if they only had a chance.
- Many people can use, freshly cooked meals, old blankets, old stuffed toys, donate cars and so on so they can try to get back to their feet.
- Donate to organization who are helping child hunger, shelter and also look for people to help directly as many organization have budget limit and they may have turn away few folks.
- Many churches or temple give out food to people or check it out and share with them.
- Donate little money you could afford to either people in need or organizations.
- Be kind and thankful for what we have and able to help. There are always people who have more than us and there are people who have less than us, let’s help who have less than us.
Organizations to check out:
Find local Homeless Shelters in US:
One.org (Thanks Adrian for the Link Suggestion)
If you still on fence about helping, take a look at some of the images of hungery children around the world, and help. I do not make anything from this except from feeling good for doing the right thing and following my heart.
Thank you for Taking time to read this and making small change to change world in to a happier place!
Zengirl,
This is such as touching post, I am almost teary eyed. I did not know such a problem existed in richest country such as America. I will surely check out these sites and see what I can do to help. You’ve inspired me.
I found through your site today while searching about other homeschooler moms. Although you do not write much about your homeschooling experience here, I like the inspiring and mood lifting posts that you write here. This is very important lesson to learn and teach kid about being compassionate. I have subscribed!
A lot of people also don’t realize that about one third of people who are homeless are families with children. I grew up near a poor, rural area, and the poverty there is striking, and not something most people would expect in America. I particularly love your number 5 because part of the reason poverty in places like Appalachia is downplayed is because the rest of the country views that area as being populated by uneducated people, when nothing could be further from the truth. I know that some people like to denigrate the poor in order to make themselves feel better for not helping; it only makes a bad situation worse. Thanks for writing this!
To many people who do not live in the United States (and many who do), the country is seen as rich and powerful and therefore we don’t realize that there are poor and country people in the US just as there are in most countries.
Excellent hard hitting post, Preeti. We all need our conscience jogged every now and then.
Preeti,
Thank you for shining a spotlight on this important issue. Your article is very well researched!
Hi Preeti,
I agree with your wisdom here, “I believe that if we truly want to be happy, we should want people around us to be happy.” It is hard to be the only one happy if everyone else around us are unhappy. But if we could make one or two more people happy, happiness has more room to take root and grow.
I also agree with you that no innocent child should have to go hungry or unloved. To know that every day almost 16,000 children die from hunger-related causes while people in other parts of the world struggle with obesity shows that there is something very wrong with the whole management of things here on Earth. Like you I believe that we can get rid of poverty but as you say, we all have to play our part.
Thank you for sharing this important article and gathering such a list of helpful links. I shall go check them out and see what I can do! 🙂
Irving the Vizier
Preeti: Such an important topic and I thought your post was great. It was filled with so much information and thanks for passing along real actions we can and all should take to help the problem.
This is a nice article.
Gandhiji’s statement is true, however there is a third factor today.
Wastage.
We buy things we think we may use. We never do, and in the process trash it later. The same holds good for food as well. If “We The People” change our lifestyles just to avoid unnecessary waste, most poverty and hunger will be eradicated.
I know people who buy food, don’t use it. Then trash it.
I know people who buy things, don’t use it. Then trash it.
I know at least one person who has done this…me.
Self realization is a lot more powerful than we think. Thanks for re-igniting it in me.
Hi Kamal,
It has been awhile, it is good to see you here! Gandhi Ji was very wise. We all do sure waste many things, instead of throwing food (which is not gone bad) away, I wish we can share it with shelters, or other people around. You are so right about self realization, it all starts inside us. I think you’re on your way!. I am still work in progress myself.
Sibyl,
Thank you, this has been on my mind for sometime. I believe we can not truly do any self improvement until we improve our surrounding. I am happy to pass it along, every little bit helps right?
Irving,
The facts are so shocking that it is almost hard to believe it, specially when it comes from reliable sources. We hardly see any poor people and homeless people in US, unless you know where they are and you’re part of it so it is hard of many of us to believe something we do not see often but it is there.
We may not get rid poverty (It is my wishful thinking though) but we can reduce the stats to way way low, if we all tried. Children are our tomorrow and they should have to go hungry or die hungry, specially when we have so much that we waste unknowingly.
Angela,
Thank you. I got many of the stats from bread.org and other sites I mentioned in the post as I was looking more in to this epidemic issue. I really did not know it was shocking stats such as 1 in 4 children in America does not enough to eat, in America only? We all can do little to make a huge difference.
Dawn,
Yes, many of us do not realize it as that is not what is seen and known even for most people of US, as homeless and poor are most hidden from public eye so we do not see how huge problem could be. We all are here for short time on earth and we can do little good while we here. I am starting with me, small baby steps to help and share my thoughts on many important things such as this topic. Thanks you for your support.
Terra,
Yes, unless we lived close to area or we are part of the homeless and poor people, we are not seeing them. It seems that we have been wearing rosy glasses and seeing everything rosy and beautiful, we need to see more carefully and be compassionate to share. Poor people are not stupid or uneducated, I know a few who are smart. Even Hollywood loves success stories such as “pursuit of happiness” which is based on true story of a homeless guy. Why can not we do for other homeless and less fortunate?
I actually know many poor people are more hard working and positive and I wish to learn from all hard working, real people. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here.
Patty,
Welcome, I do homeschool but have not written a detailed post about it, maybe one of these days I should. I have so many interests (typical chatty Gemini) that I want to share here. I am happy nevertheless that you wrote a comment and subscribed too. Thank you. Like your site too!
Gloria,
Aww..I did not mean to make you teary eyed. Thank you for commenting and being inspired, these sites sure has lot of materials to help us and point us in right direction.
I definitely think every little bit helps 🙂 One step at a time.
ZenGirl, I just realized that 13% of America population life in poor condition. by the way I think you should put ONE.ORG on your list too. This organization fight against poverty in Africa.
Inspiring post 😉
Zengirl,
Thank you for the necessary reminder that many people in this country are hungry and need our help. I like that you included concrete ways we can make a difference.
This is powerful information, Pretti. Going hungry is not something that only happens on the other side of the world – it is happening right down the street from me (and everyone). Most folks don’t realize there is probably a church right up the street with a food pantry that could use some donations. Our very neighbors rely on such donations and nothing could be easier.
Preeti, this is a great post, and one after my own heart. I remember being shocked when I first learned how many kids go hungry to bed each night here in the United States, the most prosperous country in the world. Of course, one soon also finds out that the prosperity is far from equal. And the continuing problems with the economy have meant many, many people are still suffering and have little to hope for. One way to help is by donating to food pantries. Clip coupons to buy food items cheap, and then donate what you can’t use. I also hope that my vegetable garden this year will give up enough produce that I can donate some.
Sibyl,
You got it! One step at a time.
Adrian,
13% poors in rich nation like USA is big thing! I will surely put one.org in the list, Thanks for the suggestion.
Betsy,
I think we can all make a small changes and it will be big change that will make life better for all of us, as I think there is enough food for all of us, if we shared and did not waste.
Rob,
Yes, there are many people who need help and many who can help in every corner of the world. If we all did little to help, whatever we could afford or able to spend time and energy on, it will be a bigger impact. Good karma always follows you, when you give help to others.
Dear Vaishali,
Yes, it is indeed shocking for many homeless, hungry in USA and like you said, with down economy and housing foreclosures crisis means, more people are suffering, who are hardworking people. I think donating extra harvest from garden is always a wonderful idea to share with neighbors, officer co-workers, friends and relatives.
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