Feeding America

Fortunately there are programs that assist families in crisis and can help to feed the children of the United States; however the number of hungry children is growing. Child hunger in the United States has been described as an increasingly complex problem and has been called the “silent epidemic.” (Goldstein, 2009)

What may be hard to see is that hunger is everywhere. Yes, hunger is in Africa and third-world countries, but also in the United States. Childhood hunger is nearly a bigger issue than overall hunger in the United States. Studies show that hunger among children has a higher percentage than hunger as a whole (Feeding America 28). It is found that children suffer from food insecurity in every county in the United States (Feeding America 30). It is easy to sit back and think that everyone has the financial and physical means to find food, but they do not. Over thirty percent of all children (under the age of eighteen) in New Mexico live in food insecure households; this state has the highest percent in the entire United States (Feeding America

For centuries, the United States has been seen as a food and food-product paradise; with a constant bombardment of daily specials, “two-for-one” deals, and never ending combo options oozing from every corner of the food-scape. For many Americans, over indulgence is a frequent occurrence-studies show more than 50% of adults say they eat out at least once a week (“58% Eat at A Restaurant”, 2013). Even in this scene of gluttony, the poverty stricken and systematically oppressed find themselves in food deserts across The States; that’s more than 45 million Americans without access to healthy, reasonably priced foodstuffs. Of this group of 45 million, the African American community holds the seat for the highest poverty rate among various racial and ethnic groups at an astounding 26.2% in 2014 (DeNavas-Walt, 2015).

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many of our country's most successful efforts to halt the spread of childhood hunger and starvation have recently been withdrawn.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.

There are many people in America who cannot afford their basic needs. In Connecticut alone, thirty eight percent of the states population cannot afford to meet their basic needs, such as food (New Haven Register). The meal gap, the difference between the amount of people who can and can 't afford food, is a major problem in our state. However, an even bigger problem is the lack of knowledge about the systems and programs that can help those who cannot afford food in the vast majority of people that need this help. These programs would also allow for an increase in the federal funding through incentives given out by the government. An easy way to lower the meal gap would be to find ways to spread awareness about these programs to those in need, thereby lowering the meal gap and increasing federal funding, allowing the government to help more people.

Hunger in America is very important and dangerous. Hunger means that people are in need of

In our advertisement for Feeding America, my group appealed to our audience of classmates and Ms. Buescher through the relatability and necessity of proper nutrition. My group, consisting of Irene, Nia, and myself, spoke about hunger because we realized the importance of a proper diet and how our audience could understand the urgent necessity for hunger relief in America. Our audience may not have originally understood the scale of hunger in America, so we provided a statistic to show that one out of every eight people face hunger. This and other devices, such as the image, additional statistics, and textual explanation, were used to persuade the audience to donate to Feeding America.

Imagine your stomach growling, a feeling of emptiness, fatigue, and an inability to concentrate. Most people would associate these feelings with hunger and eat. Unfortunately, many Americans do not have the luxury of eating because of living in poverty. According to the Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the number of people living in poverty rose from 31.6 million in 2000 to 36.5 million in 2006. The number of people living in households facing food insecurity rose from 31 million in 1999 to 35.5 million in 2006. More than 12 million of the people living in food insecure households were children (Labue, 2009). Food America (2017) reports:

Did you know in 2014, 48.1 million households in the United States were food insecure? (Feeding America, 2016) Additionally, household with children reported higher rates of food insecurity compared to households without children. According to new research, a great proportion of college students are suffering from food insecurity (Hughes et al., 2011; Patton-Lopez et al., 2014). According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food insecurity is defined by “the state of being without reliable access to sufficient quantity of affordable nutritious food” (2015). Since 2006, the USDA introduced new terms to categorize food insecurity ranges. Marginal food security is described as “anxiety over food sufficiency or shortage of food in the house. Little or no change in diet” (Gaines et al., n.d.). Low food security “reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet without reduced food intake. Very low food security “disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake.”

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 )

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

The second part of the book focused on the various organizations and institutions aimed at improving food security for those in need. There are “thirty-seven million Americans and fourteen million children who rely on food assistance” (Carney 2015:135). This represents an increase from previous years. The book criticizes the

Information is readily available at the feedingamerica.org website. Hunger in America 2014 reveals that each year, 46.5 million unduplicated individuals receive charitable food assistance through the Feeding America network. This translates to an estimated 1 in 7 Americans or 15.5 million households served by the network each year. In a further breakdown of the statistic, 58,000 food programs reach our Americans 389 Million times a year. 55% are 18 to 59 years old and 17% are 60 and above. That sadly means only16% of all American homes are food secure (Weinfield4). According to the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, food secure is defined as the existence of the necessary conditions for human beings to have physical and economic access, in socially acceptable ways, to food that is safe, nutritious and in keeping with their cultural preferences, so as to meet their dietary needs and live productive and healthy lives. The main way food security is even possible is 79% of American homes have to purchase inexpensive unhealthy food to feed their families. Due to unhealthy foods we have obesity, high blood pressure, and other health issues. Speaking of families, 89% of households with children are food insecure. Furthermore, 20% of Feeding America households have a member who has served in the US military. Should you have to choose between eating or

Many homeless people periodically starve with no shelter or clothing to keep them warm. Ranging from elderly, middle aged, and young aged. While fortunate families have everything they need to survive. As human beings we can not control our future. As individuals with our own problems to solve, we should extend our hand and give those in need resources to attain their needs. We should not just walk past a homeless person and give them a hostile attitude because they are less than us. Most of the times this is what most people do when they run into a

In 2014, a foundation called Feeding America did a survey on the people they serve and found that in order to stretch their food budgets 79% of them purchase inexpensive and unhealthy food in order to stay fed. This can seriously impact their health, because no matter the age, healthy bodies and minds require nutritious meals. In some cases, food insecurity can even lead to Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and obesity. These are just a few examples of why food insecurity is so harmful. Fortunately, there are many organizations, clubs, and foundations that are committed to ending hunger in America, and eventually the world. The first step to solving this problem is spreading information, and realizing just how dangerous food insecurity is, and who it affects. After learning these things, you may want to help and there are many ways to do that. I’m sure in the past, you've donated food to the annual canned food drive our school puts on, and that’s just one way you can contribute to solving this problem. There are many organizations that ask for donations and will put your money to great use, for example every dollar you donate to Feeding America will provide 11 meals for a child in need.If you don’t have food or money to donate, you can donate