Child Hunger In America
English 2A
November 9, 2013
“Feed Me. I’m Starving!” Ending Childhood Hunger in the United States It is hard to imagine a child crying over school getting out early for a snow day; however, for children whose only meal is a school lunch, this is exactly what happens. Childhood hunger affects one in every five children in the United States (Felling). The children affected by childhood hunger could be found in neighborhoods, on sports teams, and even in the classroom. Childhood hunger is a crisis in the United States that has several causes, and has several adverse effects on these hungry children, but the problem is solvable. The first step in ending childhood hunger is finding the cause. Poverty is one of the main causes of childhood …show more content…
hunger. “Around the world wherever poverty exists, hunger is sure to exist as well” (Hunger and Poverty Facts). When comparing hunger and poverty data there is an obvious correlation between the two. “More than one in seven people in the United States live below the poverty line, which is $22,113 for a family of four in 2010. More than one in five children in the United States lives below the poverty line” (Hunger and Poverty Facts). Research has shown that in most areas, in order to provide for basic necessities, a family of four needs to earn twice the amount of the poverty line (Hunger and Poverty Facts). Since poverty seems to be one of the main causes of hunger, it is important to look at the causes of poverty. Research has shown that there are three main factors that lead to an increase in poverty rates: “the economy, changes in family composition, and changes in government spending” (Haskins). In the economy of the United States there are not enough jobs to employ everyone which leads to high levels of unemployment. Also “stagnant wages among the least skilled have made it hard for people holding low-wage jobs to escape poverty” (Haskins). People working at low paying jobs are not receiving pay raises and therefore it is difficult for them to get out of poverty. Changes in family composition such as high divorce rates, decreases in marriage rates, and the rising number of non-marital birthrates have led to more female-headed families. “If a greater share of American children were living with their married parents, poverty would decline” (Haskins). Single parents have a more difficult time providing financially for their family then married couples Changes in government spending also affects poverty rates. Although the government has increased the amount of money it has spent to try and alleviate poverty, the government has reduced poverty less than they had hoped. This is due to rising health care costs and spending billions on people that live above the poverty line (Haskins). Poverty is a difficult problem to solve. Other causes of childhood hunger, such as food waste, could be easier to solve.
The United States has published hunger and poverty facts.
Those facts reveal that the United States produces enough food to feed every single person, but each day nutritious and edible food is being wasted and children are going hungry. Every day Americans throw away about 263 million pounds of food, most of it being healthy and good food to eat. This ends up being almost 1.5 billion tons of food every year that is wasted. “No matter whom they are, or where they live, or why they are impoverished, there is no excuse for anyone to go hungry in America when so much food goes to waste” (“Hunger in America”). This food is being wasted while there are millions and millions of people struggling with hunger, half of which are children. Because more than enough food is produced to be able to feed everyone in the United States, childhood hunger isn’t an issue of producing more food. It is an issue of learning how to decrease waste and distribute the food to the people that need …show more content…
it.
Hunger causes many adverse effects in children.
“When children don’t get enough to eat, their health, their brain development-their very futures- are imperiled” (Lubrano). Hunger is a very serious obstacle to learning in children. Hunger makes it difficult for the children to concentrate. They often are concentrating more on going to lunch and being able to eat, than what is going on in the classroom. Test scores have also been shown to decrease in hungry children. Many of these students who are hungry tend to show behavioral problems and are often rowdy or disruptive. Hunger is also leading these children to miss class time because they need to go to the nurse for their stomach aches (Felling). These adverse effects have long term consequences as well. “Hunger affects long-term health, academic achievement, and economic prosperity – leading to a less competitive American workforce and higher national health care costs” (Felling). These adverse effects of hunger are greatly affecting the future of
children.
“There is not just one cause of hunger, which means there is not just one solution. But one thing is clear: hunger in America is solvable” (Hunger in America). Because hunger in the United States is not as visible as it is in third world countries, many Americans may not realize the extent of the problem. By raising awareness Americans understanding of the problem can increase and more support can be gained in creating a solution. The United States produces more than enough food to feed everyone. The United States needs to figure out how to make this wasted food available to those people in need. Another possible solution would be making the food and nutrient programs more accessible to these children in need. Lastly teachers are a huge resource in fighting this problem. “Teachers are on the front lines in the war against childhood hunger. They spend hours with kid’s daily and are firsthand witnesses to the children’s lives” (Felling). Because teachers deal with these children on a daily basis they may be the greatest hope in finding a solution to poverty. By decreasing waste, increasing awareness, making government programs more accessible to those in need, and using teachers as a resource, the problem of childhood hunger could be solved.
Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste. “Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the field to rot, or be plowed under after harvest. The Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy” (“Hunger in America”). The Gleaning Network is volunteer-driven and biblically based and is “extremely successful and cost effective program” (Hunger in America). The organization contacts farmers that want to participate in the program. When they are done with the harvest, volunteer gleaners will come in within 48 hours and harvest this excess food. In 2012 these volunteer societies were able to get 40 thousand people to volunteer to glean the fields. These volunteers were able to pick up 33 million pounds of fresh food to feed the hungry (“Hunger in America”). Gleaning has been proven to be successful and cost effective in decreasing food waste and would be one way to help fight childhood hunger, but raising awareness is also a key factor in solving childhood hunger.
By raising awareness childhood hunger can be decreased. There are several programs in the United States that help raise awareness. “We have enough food. We even have food and nutrition programs to make that food available to families who can’t afford it. The trick is cutting through barriers to allow more kids to access these programs and raising awareness of hunger” (Felling). Share Our Strength is a program that helps raise awareness. This program works to increase awareness of hunger all over the United States, and helps families know which programs are available to them. One of the main objectives of this program is recruiting private citizens and business leaders to provide innovative hunger solutions in communities. Share Our Strength has been very active in providing school breakfast programs and summer lunch programs (“No Kid Hungry”). Along with the help of private citizens and business leaders, studies have found that teachers are crucial in making kids aware of programs.
Teachers are one of the most important resources in helping children overcome hunger. Share Our Strength surveyed over 1000 public school teachers regarding childhood hunger in their classes. The majority of the teachers reported having students that came to school hungry. Over half of the teachers stated that most of their students relied on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. “Three of five said they had students in their current classrooms that regularly came to school without getting enough to eat at home” (Felling). A teacher’s help in making sure their students eat a healthy breakfast at the start of their day has a huge impact on the child’s performance. Kid’s score higher on test scores and they attend more school (Felling). Making sure that their students have access to these meals is just one part in making food more available.
Studies found that just because food was available did not mean that the children always received it. Many children were embarrassed to eat free lunch in the cafeteria with the “poor kids,” and some children were unable to arrive at school early enough to eat breakfast. This problem was solved in some schools by taking school breakfast out of the cafeteria and bringing it into the classrooms, which provided food for more of the children. When the breakfast was provided in the classroom all the children were provided with breakfast so there was no segregation and the problem of children arriving late was solved (Felling).
Those who are able to have access to these programs during the school year may not have access to food during summer breaks. “For too many kids, summer means no school breakfast and no school lunch” (Felling). Providing healthy meals during the summer is still a problem, but the government is making more lunches available to children at thousands of locations across the United States. Schools even offer a free lunch program during the summer at alternating schools in Idaho Falls. By providing these programs for these children in need, the problem of hunger in children is closer to being solved. Childhood hunger is a serious problem in the United States; however, it is a problem that can be solved, if people are willing to do a few things. Teachers can help provide information to families of students who are hungry. More can be done to reduce food waste, and people can be more aware and look for opportunities to fight childhood hunger. It is a battle that can be won.
Works Cited “Bringing Innovative Solutions to Childhood Hunger.” No Kid Hungry. Share our Strength, 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Felling, Christy. “Hungry Kids: The Solvable Crisis.” Educational Leadership 70.8 (2013): 56- 60. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Haskins, Ron. “The Next Generation of Antipoverty Policies.” The Future of Children. The Trustees of Princeton University, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 November. 2013.
“Hunger and Poverty Facts.” Bread for the World. Bread of the World Institute, n.d. Web. 28. Oct. 2013.
“Hunger in America.” Society of St. Andrew. Society of St. Andrew, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Lubrano, Alfred, “Obamas pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015 is struggling.” The Philadelphia Inquirer February 2013: n.pag. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
November 9, 2013
“Feed Me. I’m Starving!” Ending Childhood Hunger in the United States It is hard to imagine a child crying over school getting out early for a snow day; however, for children whose only meal is a school lunch, this is exactly what happens. Childhood hunger affects one in every five children in the United States (Felling). The children affected by childhood hunger could be found in neighborhoods, on sports teams, and even in the classroom. Childhood hunger is a crisis in the United States that has several causes, and has several adverse effects on these hungry children, but the problem is solvable. The first step in ending childhood hunger is finding the cause. Poverty is one of the main causes of childhood …show more content…
hunger. “Around the world wherever poverty exists, hunger is sure to exist as well” (Hunger and Poverty Facts). When comparing hunger and poverty data there is an obvious correlation between the two. “More than one in seven people in the United States live below the poverty line, which is $22,113 for a family of four in 2010. More than one in five children in the United States lives below the poverty line” (Hunger and Poverty Facts). Research has shown that in most areas, in order to provide for basic necessities, a family of four needs to earn twice the amount of the poverty line (Hunger and Poverty Facts). Since poverty seems to be one of the main causes of hunger, it is important to look at the causes of poverty. Research has shown that there are three main factors that lead to an increase in poverty rates: “the economy, changes in family composition, and changes in government spending” (Haskins). In the economy of the United States there are not enough jobs to employ everyone which leads to high levels of unemployment. Also “stagnant wages among the least skilled have made it hard for people holding low-wage jobs to escape poverty” (Haskins). People working at low paying jobs are not receiving pay raises and therefore it is difficult for them to get out of poverty. Changes in family composition such as high divorce rates, decreases in marriage rates, and the rising number of non-marital birthrates have led to more female-headed families. “If a greater share of American children were living with their married parents, poverty would decline” (Haskins). Single parents have a more difficult time providing financially for their family then married couples Changes in government spending also affects poverty rates. Although the government has increased the amount of money it has spent to try and alleviate poverty, the government has reduced poverty less than they had hoped. This is due to rising health care costs and spending billions on people that live above the poverty line (Haskins). Poverty is a difficult problem to solve. Other causes of childhood hunger, such as food waste, could be easier to solve.
The United States has published hunger and poverty facts.
Those facts reveal that the United States produces enough food to feed every single person, but each day nutritious and edible food is being wasted and children are going hungry. Every day Americans throw away about 263 million pounds of food, most of it being healthy and good food to eat. This ends up being almost 1.5 billion tons of food every year that is wasted. “No matter whom they are, or where they live, or why they are impoverished, there is no excuse for anyone to go hungry in America when so much food goes to waste” (“Hunger in America”). This food is being wasted while there are millions and millions of people struggling with hunger, half of which are children. Because more than enough food is produced to be able to feed everyone in the United States, childhood hunger isn’t an issue of producing more food. It is an issue of learning how to decrease waste and distribute the food to the people that need …show more content…
it.
Hunger causes many adverse effects in children.
“When children don’t get enough to eat, their health, their brain development-their very futures- are imperiled” (Lubrano). Hunger is a very serious obstacle to learning in children. Hunger makes it difficult for the children to concentrate. They often are concentrating more on going to lunch and being able to eat, than what is going on in the classroom. Test scores have also been shown to decrease in hungry children. Many of these students who are hungry tend to show behavioral problems and are often rowdy or disruptive. Hunger is also leading these children to miss class time because they need to go to the nurse for their stomach aches (Felling). These adverse effects have long term consequences as well. “Hunger affects long-term health, academic achievement, and economic prosperity – leading to a less competitive American workforce and higher national health care costs” (Felling). These adverse effects of hunger are greatly affecting the future of
children.
“There is not just one cause of hunger, which means there is not just one solution. But one thing is clear: hunger in America is solvable” (Hunger in America). Because hunger in the United States is not as visible as it is in third world countries, many Americans may not realize the extent of the problem. By raising awareness Americans understanding of the problem can increase and more support can be gained in creating a solution. The United States produces more than enough food to feed everyone. The United States needs to figure out how to make this wasted food available to those people in need. Another possible solution would be making the food and nutrient programs more accessible to these children in need. Lastly teachers are a huge resource in fighting this problem. “Teachers are on the front lines in the war against childhood hunger. They spend hours with kid’s daily and are firsthand witnesses to the children’s lives” (Felling). Because teachers deal with these children on a daily basis they may be the greatest hope in finding a solution to poverty. By decreasing waste, increasing awareness, making government programs more accessible to those in need, and using teachers as a resource, the problem of childhood hunger could be solved.
Gleaning is one way to reduce food waste. “Gleaning is the traditional Biblical practice of gathering crops that would otherwise be left in the field to rot, or be plowed under after harvest. The Gleaning Network coordinates volunteers, growers, and distribution agencies to salvage this food for the needy” (“Hunger in America”). The Gleaning Network is volunteer-driven and biblically based and is “extremely successful and cost effective program” (Hunger in America). The organization contacts farmers that want to participate in the program. When they are done with the harvest, volunteer gleaners will come in within 48 hours and harvest this excess food. In 2012 these volunteer societies were able to get 40 thousand people to volunteer to glean the fields. These volunteers were able to pick up 33 million pounds of fresh food to feed the hungry (“Hunger in America”). Gleaning has been proven to be successful and cost effective in decreasing food waste and would be one way to help fight childhood hunger, but raising awareness is also a key factor in solving childhood hunger.
By raising awareness childhood hunger can be decreased. There are several programs in the United States that help raise awareness. “We have enough food. We even have food and nutrition programs to make that food available to families who can’t afford it. The trick is cutting through barriers to allow more kids to access these programs and raising awareness of hunger” (Felling). Share Our Strength is a program that helps raise awareness. This program works to increase awareness of hunger all over the United States, and helps families know which programs are available to them. One of the main objectives of this program is recruiting private citizens and business leaders to provide innovative hunger solutions in communities. Share Our Strength has been very active in providing school breakfast programs and summer lunch programs (“No Kid Hungry”). Along with the help of private citizens and business leaders, studies have found that teachers are crucial in making kids aware of programs.
Teachers are one of the most important resources in helping children overcome hunger. Share Our Strength surveyed over 1000 public school teachers regarding childhood hunger in their classes. The majority of the teachers reported having students that came to school hungry. Over half of the teachers stated that most of their students relied on school meals as their primary source of nutrition. “Three of five said they had students in their current classrooms that regularly came to school without getting enough to eat at home” (Felling). A teacher’s help in making sure their students eat a healthy breakfast at the start of their day has a huge impact on the child’s performance. Kid’s score higher on test scores and they attend more school (Felling). Making sure that their students have access to these meals is just one part in making food more available.
Studies found that just because food was available did not mean that the children always received it. Many children were embarrassed to eat free lunch in the cafeteria with the “poor kids,” and some children were unable to arrive at school early enough to eat breakfast. This problem was solved in some schools by taking school breakfast out of the cafeteria and bringing it into the classrooms, which provided food for more of the children. When the breakfast was provided in the classroom all the children were provided with breakfast so there was no segregation and the problem of children arriving late was solved (Felling).
Those who are able to have access to these programs during the school year may not have access to food during summer breaks. “For too many kids, summer means no school breakfast and no school lunch” (Felling). Providing healthy meals during the summer is still a problem, but the government is making more lunches available to children at thousands of locations across the United States. Schools even offer a free lunch program during the summer at alternating schools in Idaho Falls. By providing these programs for these children in need, the problem of hunger in children is closer to being solved. Childhood hunger is a serious problem in the United States; however, it is a problem that can be solved, if people are willing to do a few things. Teachers can help provide information to families of students who are hungry. More can be done to reduce food waste, and people can be more aware and look for opportunities to fight childhood hunger. It is a battle that can be won.
Works Cited “Bringing Innovative Solutions to Childhood Hunger.” No Kid Hungry. Share our Strength, 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Felling, Christy. “Hungry Kids: The Solvable Crisis.” Educational Leadership 70.8 (2013): 56- 60. Academic Search Premier. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Haskins, Ron. “The Next Generation of Antipoverty Policies.” The Future of Children. The Trustees of Princeton University, 11 Feb. 2013. Web. 14 November. 2013.
“Hunger and Poverty Facts.” Bread for the World. Bread of the World Institute, n.d. Web. 28. Oct. 2013.
“Hunger in America.” Society of St. Andrew. Society of St. Andrew, n.d. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
Lubrano, Alfred, “Obamas pledge to end childhood hunger by 2015 is struggling.” The Philadelphia Inquirer February 2013: n.pag. Newspaper Source Plus. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.