Hunger in America Is Visible If You Look for It?

Hunger in America is quite evident. All you have to do is look around to see it. In most large cities, you’ll see the homeless. Unemployed or underemployed, the ability to obtain simple needs such as food and shelter is a struggle for too many Americans. In Florida, for example, the minimum wage is so low that a person would have to work 99 hours in a week just to afford a two bedroom apartment in today’s market, according to American Poverty.org and data on In Our Own Backyard.Us. You can just imagine that the people who are lucky enough to land a suitable job will struggle to pay for a decent place to live and pay for food. Many times, people who are poor sacrifice nutrition just so they could survive. Eating three or more meals per day is a luxury, and they make due with one meal if they can manage even that.

If you look, you will see people with cardboard signs on the side of the roads in America. They may be begging for money, but they really want the basic necessities that money can buy. They are hungry, and they may also seek a comfortable, safe place to live. They know that receiving a few dollars in donations will only take them so far. They are looking for a more permanent solution.

According to Feeding America, approximately 1 out of every six people are hungry. Although we too often see men and women on the streets in our cities and towns, many of these hungry people are children. The children may live in shelters, or with other relatives. You might see them on the streets. If you look closely you will realize that there are hungry.

Where are the Hungry?

The homeless people that you see, the people living in shelters, and people who are begging along streets in America are not the only hungry people in this hungry. People who get up every day and work a job or two are hungry, too. They probably skip breakfast, lunch, or dinner on occasion. They may miss several meals. Sometimes parents go without meals so that their children can eat. When school is out, children who receive free and reduced meals have to rely on food from home. If there’s little food in the household, those children are likely to go without meals.

A Fall From the Middle Class

A report in the Working Families Project stated that an alarming number of Americans have fallen out of the middle class due to various factors, including job losses and a reduction in hours at work. Some people have lost their full-time positions and have become part-time workers. The loss of full-time employment might inadvertently result in a loss of healthcare benefits for workers who once had healthcare. Therefore, they must pay for treatments out-of-pocket, further burdening their budgets.

Because gas prices have risen, people see an even deeper strain on their budgets. Since they have to pay more for gas to get to and from work, they are likely to have less money to feed themselves and their family. You might see someone going without lunch at work, or you could notice that a co-worker is more tired than usual from a lack of proper nutrition. If you look around you will see the hungry in America.

C. Williams is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of social and technical topics, including those that relate to how information and referral software can assist others.

Getting at the Roots: Why Are People Hungry in America?

America is home to some of the world’s wealthiest people, companies and institutions. That is why even the thought that anyone is hungry in this country is hard to believe. Almost 46 million out of 311 million people receive food stamps. With the weak economy showing slow, if any signs of recovery, the forecast for a reduction in this number is bleak. The average four-person family on food stamps receives $668 of credit towards groceries. This does not go very far with the rising cost of food. Many, who receive food stamps, still have to go without, and facing a shortage of food on a regular basis. Here are four possible reasons why people in America are what the United States Department of Agriculture defines, “food insecure.”

No Emergency Funds

An increasingly large number of Americans find themselves without adequate emergency funds and living from paycheck to paycheck. They pray that nothing unexpected comes their way. For those without a credit card or a backup fund, an emergency such as car repairs, hospital expenses or home repairs, can stress the food budget tremendously.

Healthy Food is Expensive

To eat right cost plenty. Americans struggling with making ends meet tend to purchase the cheapest food possible with the hopes that it will go a long way. Unfortunately, they don’t get enough fresh food containing fiber, vitamins and minerals that the body truly needs to be healthy. It is a vicious cycle because processed food, although inexpensive, leaves people malnourished and hungry. Whole foods, on the other hand, cost more but provide essential nutrients and do not cause blood sugar spikes that are responsible for hunger.

Availability

The poorest people in America live on Indian reservations, in the Mississippi Delta and along the U.S. and Mexican border. In these locations, the stores sell mostly cheap, poor quality food that provides very little in the way of nutrition and a lot of fat, sugar and other filler items. With very few food choices available, people in these poverty stricken regions are incredibly malnourished, have a high rate of obesity, diabetes and heart disease.

Employment Insecurity

Hunger in America is affected by the lack of an adequate minimum wage, one that actually provides enough money to cover living expenses. With a low minimum wage, employees become easily replaced and very little time and effort is put into job skill training. Take for instance a family of four with both parents working a full time job at minimum wage. After taxes, they are still living at or below the poverty level. It is a tragedy that people who work as hard as they can still live a life of struggles.

While there are many people and organizations at the federal, state and local levels working towards reducing the number of food insecure families in America, the struggle continues.

About the Author – Misty Jackson is a freelance writer and social service consultant. When not writing, Misty can be found advising non-profit organizations on efficiency programs such as, 211 software.

http://situationroom.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/04/blitzers-blog-hunger-in-america/ in the United States

There's Help: Programs for the Struggling Homeless

While it may seem like there's no end to homelessness, there are many programs in every city and region that can help alleviate the problem. Struggling with homelessness is a serious issue, and the more information a homeless person has about where they can go for help, the more options they have available to take advantage of in a time of crisis. Below are some examples of programs for struggling homeless people:

 

Dialing 211

Dialing 211 in one of 39 states allows callers to get in touch with the right health and social service agencies and organizations in your area. A call placed with 211 is routed to a regional calling center, where people on the other line with give information about organizations that can help. The referral specialists access databases using 211 software to find resources both public and private resources in the area, such as health care, housing, job training, or anything else someone who is homeless may need.

Housing Services

The number one thing necessary for a homeless person is a safe place to sleep at night. Homeless shelters can provide immediate assistance for short periods of time, while transitional housing has affordable housing for limited periods of time and mandatory participation in counseling and job searching or training to lead to permanent housing. Permanent supportive housing offers services for disabled homeless or those suffering from serious mental illness and other health issues like AIDS or chronic substance abuse.

Other Support Services

In addition to housing, most homeless people need plenty of other kinds of support. Food banks and soup kitchens are available in nearly every region with a homeless shelter, along with donation centers that offer basic needs like food, clothing, hygienic materials, books, toys, and school supplies.

Health services are extremely vital for the homeless. Low-income families can learn more about government programs such as Medicaid and Medicare or other low-cost health insurance programs. Moreover, it is a sad fact that many of those living on the streets have been driven there by alcohol and drug use. Housing centers and other agencies can work to place homeless people in alcohol and drug prevention and rehabilitation programs, as well as counseling and support groups, to begin the process of “getting clean.”

To help the homeless move from shelters and transitional housing into more permanent, stable housing, there are plenty of work support programs that offer a wide range of job related services. Financial assistance is not enough – many need to either acquire job training or go through educational programs to attain the skills they need to compete in the work force. These programs also have people on hand to help with creating and building resumes, job searching, and transportation assistance so they can get to and from work.

The information is out there for homeless people to get connected and find the best solutions for their current situation, whether it's seeking help from a drug abuse support group or receiving a hot meal from a local soup kitchen. Calling 211 is the first step towards finding the information that can lead to struggling homeless get the help they need.

Hunger and Poverty Around the World

World hunger is primarily due to an unfair distribution of land and power. Richer countries control a large portion of the land, and these countries seek to use land in underdeveloped nations, as well. Waste is a contributing factor to the world food shortage problem, according to Global Issues.org. This makes sense, when we think about the laws and regulations in the United States that force restaurants to throw away food for specific reasons. This problem does not only rest within food services businesses. Individuals throw away food, too. Food that is grown in fields is wasted due to insect infestations and diseases. Land is often monopolized by the wealthy, and those who control the land, control the food.

Degradation of Land

Good land is often degraded when it is used for purposes other than growing food. A high number of developments in an area and growing non-food products can waste land that should be used to grow food in areas that need it the most. Sometimes land is used for purposes that harm people rather than help them. Crops that are used for drugs and tobacco are extremely harmful. Land that could effectively grow food is also used for coffee crops, and flowers, according to Global Issues.org. These items are primarily sold to industrialized countries. Deforestation is a huge concern in the Caribbean and Latin America, reports the Natural Resources Defense Council. Pesticides and coffee crops further damage the land. When people buy a cup of coffee, they probably don’t think about the chemicals that have been sprayed on the crops to reduce the pests and weeds that come along with the crop. They probably do not give a second thought about the food that could have been gown in place of the coffee.  Although it is true that people who live around the land do sometimes earn money from the jobs associated with these crops, they also have to deal with the backlash of ills from using unhealthful standards (chemicals) to grow certain items. Tobacco itself causes a chain of health problems that easily negate the money funneled into the area that grows it.

Growing Crops and Grazing Animals

The land could be better used if more land was used for growing crops instead of grazing animals. Global Issues reports on the astounding amount of water that is used for a pound of beef -- 2,500 gallons is used for beef, versus the relatively small amount of water needed to water crops. All of these issues and others come into play to feed the problem of poverty around the world. Using valuable resources for purposes other than growing food, wasteful behavior, and the demand for luxury items for industrialized nations are also at the root of the problem.

Poor Allocation of Resources

Resources are simply not being allocated properly, so there are workers who toil in fields that they do not own, and they cannot begin to purchase the items that are grown in the fields. Workers are making below a livable wage and money is being poured into activities that could cause further harm to the environment and health and citizens worldwide. There are several different forces that result in poverty around the world.

References

National Resources Defense Council: http://www.nrdc.org/health/farming/ccc/chap4.asp

Global Issues: http://www.globalissues.org/article/7/causes-of-hunger-are-related-to-poverty

C. Williams is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of social and technical topics, including those that relate to how homeless shelter software can assist others.

The Connection Between Poverty and Hunger

Poverty and hunger are intertwined. People who are living at or below the poverty levels are more likely to go hungry. Because they have no other choice, they skip meals, eating only at minimal levels to survive. Sometimes people who are living in poverty go without food or extended periods of time. They simply cannot afford to have enough to eat, and whatever money or resources that they do receive is dedicated to food.  According to Global Issues, people usually suffer from hunger because they do not have the money that they need to purchase food. If more people lived above poverty levels and had means to afford food, shelter, clothing, and other basic needs (and beyond those needs) fewer people will suffer from hunger.

Therefore, people need jobs or decent income levels so they can afford to eat, and in many cases the ability to obtain these jobs, and the availability of well-paying jobs depends on individual levels of education and political decisions. An editorial by Helen F. Ladd and Edward B. Fisk, Class Matters, Why Don’t We Admit it published in the New York Times cites the connection between education and poverty.  Children who are poor are less likely to achieve at high levels in school.  It is also safe to say that a large number of people who are not well-educated are more likely to suffer from poverty. People who are not well-educated and live in poverty are more likely to go hungry.

The Poverty Cycle

The cycle continues. People who live in poverty are caught in this vicious cycle, because their children do not achieve as well as children in more advantaged areas. It is possible that the children will have challenges. They will possible have problems landing higher-paying jobs that will allow them to pay for their basic needs and beyond. Instead, many of these young adults will land in jobs that will pay at or just above the minimum wage. They too, will live from paycheck to paycheck, and they could end up lacking suitable nutrition.

Economics of Poverty

The economic climate, the availability of jobs as well as the qualifications of the people to fulfill the positions in their communities impact poverty and hunger. People who are currently living in poverty need to have desired skills, so they can land available positions. Transportation to access the better-paying job is important, too. Sometimes the well-paying jobs are not in the communities where people need jobs the most.

 Emotional Impact of Poverty

Oftentimes people who live in poverty are dealing with daily stresses that make it more challenging for them to concentrate on obtaining additional training that they need to obtain suitable jobs. When you worry about keeping the electricity on and paying for meals, it’s difficult to concentrate on coursework. Needless to say, children in poverty would find it difficult to pay attention in class when they are hungry and living in an unstable environment.

Many people who are living in poverty work every day, but it is extremely difficult to maintain a low-paying job, work many hours, and strive for a better work situation at the same time. Hunger in America goes beyond not having enough to eat. This ongoing problem is due to several different factors, including political and economic reasons.

Class Matters, Why Won’t We Admit It

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/12/opinion/the-unaddressed-link-between-poverty-and-education.html?pagewanted=all

 

 

Global Issues: Solving World Hunger Means Solving World Poverty

http://www.globalissues.org/article/8/solving-world-hunger-means-solving-world-poverty

C. Williams is a freelance writer who writes about a variety of social and technical topics, including those that relate to how homeless shelter software can assist others.

Growing Up Homeless

For the first ten years of my life I lived in a car, well, actually a variety of cars, trucks and vans with my older sister and mom, who struggled from a mental illness that kept her from being able to hold down employment for very long. We moved all over the country but always made our home in whatever vehicle we were driving. I remember when we upgraded from the VW bug to an old conversion van. It was as if we had moved into a fancy home in Beverly Hills. We had our own reclining seat and room to move around a bit. It was bright orange and had big windows that we could finger paint on when they became overcast with condensation. This was the only life I ever knew and to me it seemed normal until I went to school.

My First Memories of School

My first memories of school were when my mother had a job at a local supermarket as a cashier in a small Texas town. We lived in a station wagon at that time and Mom found various places to park the car, usually close to public parks where we could use the washroom. I was six and in first grade. It was exciting for me to think that I could go to school all day and not have to sit in the car. I made friends quickly and seemed to fit in. That was, until one day when we were talking about our homes and asked to draw a picture of our house or apartment. For some reason, everyone else’s homes looked different than mine, and none had wheels. When the teacher saw my picture, she began asking questions. She thought I had made a mistake and drawn a picture of my car instead of my home. I protested, but she insisted. That night, when I told my mother what had happened, we loaded up in the wagon and moved on to another town.

No Roots

My mother’s parents died when she was just 18 and the only other family that she had was an elderly Aunt who lived in Mississippi. We stopped by to see her one time, and she did not even know who my mother was. She thought my mother was trying to sell her something. Being on the move so much never allowed up to put down any roots or make any lasting friends. That, for me, was the hardest part of being homeless. I wanted to play baseball, have sleepovers, ride bikes and do all the other things that a typical boy might do, but we never stayed anywhere long enough for that to happen. I became very shy, withdrawn and internally frustrated with my life.

The Rescue

The longest we ever stayed in one place was in a town located in central Idaho. I was 9, almost 10 and my Mom had found a good job as a daycare worker. She seemed optimistic and happy for the first time in a long while. We even began attending a local church. The church people were very nice, and I and we quickly became part of their family. Under my mother’s strict instructions, we never talked about where we lived. My mother had actually told a member of the church that we were staying with friends until we found an apartment. At this time, my mother had saved over $2,000, which was the most money we had ever had. She had begun searching for a place to live. One day, a member of the church mentioned that she had a small cabin for rent and wanted to know if my mother would be interested in looking at it.

The Cabin

The cabin was the nicest thing I had ever seen. A small three bedroom with a den, bathroom and kitchen, it was perfect and very affordable. We moved in the next day. My mother began receiving medical help for her anxiety issues and very soon was stable enough to begin taking classes at the local college where she eventually received her degree in Early Childhood Education. She even opened up her own very successful childcare center. I finally got to play on the baseball team and even got a brand new bike for my 10th birthday!

Thousands of children who grow up homeless in America are not nearly as lucky as I was. They face daily struggles and most end up stuck in a cycle of poverty, sickness and darkness.

About the Author – Jack Peterson has never forgotten where he came from. After graduating from college, he dedicated his life working with the homeless. He often consults with homeless shelters on ways they can improve efficiency such as with homeless shelter software.

Putting the Brakes on Childhood Hunger

Little children wake up hungry, crying for something to fill their screaming bellies. This happens in places like the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia, but it also happens in the United States of America. That’s right, in the world’s wealthiest country; children go without food and suffer the devastating implications of not having enough to eat. In fact, over 16 million children suffer from hunger issues in this great land of ours. According to members of the Occupy Movement, letting children go hungry is clearly a form of child abuse. While much is being done at the federal, state and local level to feed hungry children, there is still work to be done.

Hungry Children Are at a Disadvantage

Children who are hungry or malnourished visit the doctor more often and generally have compromised immune systems, which leave them susceptible to illness and disease. Children who do not have enough to eat cannot focus in school and are thus found lagging behind their classmates who have full bellies. Hungry children are less likely than their non-hungry peers to be creative and may exhibit signs of depression and aggression.

Education

Some say that the key to reducing the number of hungry children lies in educating parents. Teaching parents about the importance of nutrition and counseling them on how to make the right choices for their children. Some non-profit groups focus on helping parents draft a budget and teach them the importance of budgeting the right amount of money for food. Other organizations offer meal-planning classes that show parents how to stretch their food budget without compromising the quality of their meals.

Compassion

At the heart of wanting to end childhood hunger must lay compassion. Feeding hungry children has to be done because it is the right thing to do and because it demonstrates the kind of compassion that is often missing in our busy world. There are many reasons why children go hungry, but realizing that children are helpless, innocent victims is the premise upon which all efforts to help should be based. It is important that we be able to separate the child (the who) from the circumstance (the what) that has caused the problem to exist.

Where Are The Hungry?

You don’t have to look very far to see signs of suffering children right in your neighborhood. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that hungry children are not found in “your part of town.” Hungry children are everywhere. In fact, a recent study revealed that hungry children come from all types of families, not just low income.

How to Help

One of the best ways to help is to be aware. It is easy to get so wrapped up in your own life that you almost have blinders on. A watchful eye is a helpful tool when it comes to identifying those children that need help. Once you have identified a hungry child, it is important that you know the local services and programs available to help that child. Become familiar with these programs in your area, perhaps you can even spend time volunteering. Join forces with local food banks, churches, social service organizations, parents, teachers and politicians to take care of the hungry children in your backyard. Together, we can, put the brakes on childhood hunger.

About the Author – Destiny Harris knows what it is like to be hungry. As a child, her parents struggled to put food on the table. Today, Destiny consults organizations that serve children and provides training and support for social services software programs.

Resources:

http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-facts/child-hunger-facts.aspx