Child Hunger In America

Nowadays, hunger is not only linked with food it is also related to the family income level, also, it represents the feeling of starving to the time that it is disturbing or even frustrating. Oxford dictionary define hunger as “A feeling of discomfort or weakness caused by lack of food, coupled with the desire to eat.” Indeed, most people would admit that when someone is starving, they are not performing to their absolute potential. This sense of resentment and anger when one is craving for food is prompted by a decline in the body’s blood- glucose level. In this case if the level declines, the human brain will recognize it as a threatening situation. The leading cause of hunger among

The second part of Megan Carney (2015) focused on the various different food assistance programs and solutions for food insecurity. Across the country there are countless of organizations and programs that aim at assisting and improving food insecurity among marginalized communities. The truth of the matter is, that there are structural issues in the government that prevent individuals from making enough to support themselves and their families. It is hard to comprehend how the United States disagrees in recognizing food and its access to food as an inalienable human rights (Carney 2015). No one should be denied access to nutritious food.

It was difficult to read that countless millions of federal dollars and many of our country's most successful efforts to halt the spread of childhood hunger and starvation have recently been withdrawn. And as a result, this problem of childhood hunger is not getting better but is actually getting worse. The most recent estimates compiled by the USDA in 1999 indicate that 36.2 million Americans live in food-insecure households, which means that their access to adequate and safe food is limited or uncertain. This too is very disturbing information.

Considering the following statistics, it is clear why Hunger Free Colorado’s work is so important: Nearly 1 in 7 Coloradans struggled with hunger in 2013, facing times when there was not enough money to buy food for their families or themselves (Colman-Jenson, Gregory, & Singh, 2013). More than 1 in 5 Colorado households with children (22%) reported food hardship, facing financial challenges to put food on the table (Food Research and Action Center, 2013). More than 1 in 8 Coloradans lived in poverty, including 1 in 6 kids, during 2013 (Bishaw & Fontenot, 2014).

So, why do fifteen million children in America face hunger every day? How does this happen? Many people are on food stamps, and they can be extremely helpful, but it is difficult to feed family with them. Food stamps provide only a dollar per person for each meal, according to the organization, Food is Power. More often than not, unhealthy, processed foods are a lot less expensive than nutritious, organic food, and because of this issue, many people on food stamps reach for less expensive junk food. Unquestionably, healthy foods can be very hard to find and expensive in places like food deserts. Food is Power found that thirty-three percent of Americans live in food deserts. Of course, public transportation helps families reach grocery stores, but it still can be a lengthy trip, and in rural and suburban areas, there can be little or no public transportation at all. These issues make it a struggle for parents to provide healthy food for their

Most people in the United States today are unaware of the increasing numbers of child hunger throughout the country. Today, a staggering one in five kids struggle with hunger in our own country (Francisco 18). Not only does it affect their concentration and grades in school, but also their overall health. Over 1.02 billion people in the world are considered to be malnourished, and hunger and malnutrition is the leading cause of child deaths, which accounts for 6 million children each year (Nah and Chau). When most people think of children and families going hungry, they think that it is just a problem in other countries. However, there is an increasing amount of children and their families in North Carolina

Another program that I believe will eliminate hunger is the St. Pats Hot Meal Program. St. Pats is a church that serves hot meals to the community multiple times a week. When a group of peers and I got there, we spent some time with the kids that showed up while the kitchen was getting ready for the meal. We brought them coloring books, crayons, colored pencils, puzzles, and checkers. I sat across from a little boy who kept almost falling asleep. His grandma explained to me that he does not usually act this way. He is usually a ball of energy who bounces off the walls, but that day he did not have the energy because he was hungry. No matter how hard I tried to distract him with coloring or even a conversation, he could not stop thinking about how hungry he was. It made me really sad to think that someone’s hunger could be so bad that they cannot do anything. Food is a necessity, and being deprived of it can make you feel less human. I hate that in this rich, industrialized nation, there are severe problems. We need to focus on ending hunger in America, and places like St. Pats will help do that. We need to support these programs and expand them to reach all of the hunger insecure.

Did you know that in 2014 there were 48.1 million Americans that lived in food insecure households? When a household is food insecure, it means that its residents have trouble meeting their basic nutritional needs due to lack of money or

If I could change one thing about my community, it would be how we deal with the issue of childhood hunger. It often goes unnoticed, but there are many children going hungry at night. It is a real issue in America and here in the Birmingham area. No child should ever go to bed hungry at night wondering where their next meal is going to come from. That is why I believe our business community should partner with local non-profits and churches to develop more community gardens. Community gardens are an affordable way to feed those in need and for children to learn how to grow their own food to support healthier lifestyles. Implementing multiple community gardens in the Birmingham metro area (similar to Jones Valley Farm) would allow children to

The United States is known as the wealthiest country in the world. But, there are many people that can't afford to buy food for their families, many are also homeless. “While hunger affects people of all ages, it's particularly devastating for children even short-term episodes of hunger can cause lasting damage."(“Child Nutrition Programs") Child hunger in the United States is caused by poverty, unemployment, food insecurity, and food shortage; however there are many solutions to this problem like FRAC strategies, food banks, summer feeding programs, and backpack feeding programs.

Resulting in distraction of work during school and life long health issues. Studies have shown that children who do not get the proper nutritious everyday meals they should get, their major organs will be affected, leading to -- or contributing to -- a variety of ailments. Hunger is tied with stomachaches, headaches, depression, anxiety and a decreased ability to focus. I believe hungry kids also struggle socially and behaviorally, making their experiences in school less than enjoyable. Resulting in

Hunger is a big social issue facing America today. According to (“Do Something.com”) 1 out of 6 people face hunger in the US. Also 49 Million Americans Struggle to put food on the table. America is the best country in world, we shouldn’t have so many people hungry. Many people have thought of fixing this problem but one company has found a way to help fix this problem, this company is Feeding America. They have been giving people food since 1979. They’ve helped out 46 million Americans. ( feedingamerica.org )

How have we been able to leave earth and break unbelievable feats that sound nearly impossible, and still not be able to do the simplest thing and feed our people with enough nutrition? Like the great saying goes, "We have the means, we have the capacity to eliminate hunger from the face of the Earth in our lifetime. We need only the will." Stated by our former president from the 1960s John F. Kennedy but although there were only three billion people during his time we still have the means to eliminate hunger in the United States with methods that scientist believe could feed the world of today that has above five and a half billion people or more which was stated by “feeding the worlds people”. But we should

Many problems plague the United States as a country that spans a vast swath of land, contains many over exploited natural resources, and houses 320 million people that come from all stretches of the globe, but one of the single biggest problems is hunger. Child hunger in the United States is at the forefront of this issue. The helpless youth of today quite often become the hopeless adults of tomorrow when their basic needs are not met. This country has enough food to provide its citizens with all of their nutritional needs, but just like so many other expansive problems, distribution is the crux of the matter. With children as the focus, we must hone in on a means to bring the food and children together on a consistent basis. Education in this

According to the Hunger in Kentucky website, one out of every five children that live in Kentucky do not have access to enough food. That means that in a classroom of 25 kids, when they go home an average of 5 children could be going home to little or no food waiting on them when they get there. In today’s trying economy there are so many that must make choices as parents between buying groceries and paying for their electric or water. There are food stamps and programs out there but at the end of the months-time these funds are usually depleted and we see children that come in for breakfast in the morning starving. Or the ones that are trying to hide some of their food during lunch or snack time to take home for later. One of the most heartbreaking things I have heard was they were saving their snack for mommy or little sister so that they could have some to eat when they got home. This is a problem we have faced in our school that we need to work on with our children, if even one child is leaving our school and going hungry it is too many. The cafeteria staff at our school should take the food they throw away after breakfast and lunch and give it to our children that need extra food because they are going hungry at home.