FEED THE CHILDREN
Hungry children are unacceptable
Almost one in four children in Solano County are hungry, according to a survey by Feeding America and Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano. It’s astonishing when you juxtapose the vast resources of this country alongside the reality of hungry kids. Too many of us think hunger is a Third World problem.
When I first saw the number, 22.4 percent of children under 18 in Solano County struggling with hunger, I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t seem possible. But when I went to http://www.foodbankccs.org and read the report, it put it all into perspective. While Americans certainly aren’t starving, some clearly can’t make ends meet.
While many of those without enough money for food are those on fixed incomes, half of the need is from families who are considered part of the working poor. These are families who earn too much money to qualify for government assistance programs. After bills, rent and dealing with the higher food prices we’ve all noticed, they simply don’t have enough to provide for their families. Families with moms and dads looking for jobs have no way to put food on the table.
I was reminded of an incident at Armijo when I was in the 10th grade. There was a kid in my drivers ed class who, from his tattered old clothes to his meager school supplies, was obviously from a family that didn’t have much. One day, I saw him sipping enchilada sauce from a can at lunchtime. I asked him about it and he said it was all he had at home. It so disturbed me that I went home and told my mother about it. My mother would give me lunch money for him or have me pack a sandwich for him.
I could hardly imagine a more desperate feeling than having children to feed and no food or money to feed them. It’s the most basic of needs and it would be awful for any parent to have to send their children to bed hungry.
It couldn’t have been easy to feed the five boys in my family. And from the looks of us, we did a lot more eating than the average kids. But I never remember going to bed hungry. There was never a time where we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from. Being a military family, we’d load our freezer full after trips to the commissary.
With all the constant news reports on obesity, hunger in America just doesn’t sink in. It’s ironic we’re a nation that leads the world in obesity yet one in six struggle with hunger. It’s a hidden problem with seniors on fixed incomes not having enough to make it through the month. This paper recently did a story on the increase in children living with their grandparents. And there’s the problem, like I’ve seen in my neighborhood, of children of drug addicts going door-to-door, asking for food. My neighbors and I have fed these children (and called Child Protective Services).
Earlier this month there were headlines that, at 45.8 million Americans, food stamp use had hit record highs. The real stunning fact is that in Solano and Contra Costa Counties the survey estimates that only 50 percent of those eligible for food stamps are receiving them. Extrapolate that nationally.
The hunger and food aid issue is just another symptom and result of the Great Recession. Local food banks have seen donations fall and need rise. It’s hard to donate when everyone is struggling in one way or another. But if you have the opportunity to give to one of our local food banks or even take some canned food to your church, you’d be fulfilling a great need. Most churches accept donations of food for families in need.
No child should go hungry in America. Peace.
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ADDITIONAL NOTES: This is just something we can't allow. Lord knows my more than ample butt has always had enough (too much) to eat. It pains me to think of children going to bed hungry in America. Obviously, it shouldn't happen anywhere but especially not here. Since my column ran, I've been contacted by people who are struggling with making their income last the month. It's a sad situation.
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