-- Jeff Bridges, anti-hunger activist and advocate for children.
Over 16 million children in the United States or 1 in 5 struggles with hunger each day. American kids aren't getting the food they need. Hunger compromises a child's ability to focus, properly develop and maintain overall health. What's even more tragic is that the United States is one of the most prosperous countries in the world and we are allowing some of our children to starve. According to research conducted by Children’s Health Watch, lack of food or what is now commonly termed "food insecurity" is linked to increased hospitalizations, developmental issues, headaches, stomachaches and colds. The truth is it's costing our country more to ignore hunger than to take actions to resolve the root causes. And at least in the United States we do have the ability and resources to help. So why are we allowing hungry children to suffer?
Consider the following important points proposed by legal clerk and consumer activist,
Erin Brocovich,
"Most of our citizenry believes that hunger only affects people who are lazy or people who are just looking for a handout, people who don't' want to work, but, sadly, that is not true. Over one-third of our hungry people are innocent children who are members of households that simply cannot provide enough food or proper nutrition. And to think of the elderly suffering from malnutrition is just too hard for most of us. Unlike Third World nations, in our country the problem is not having too little – it is about not caring enough! Write your elected representatives and promote support for the hungry." http://endhunger.com/assets/Celebrities/brockovich.html
Here are the facts:
Almost 50 million Americans which includes 16 million children are living in homes with insufficient incomes. These households lack enough resources to consistently provide nutritious meals. At some time during a school year millions of children are going without food.
Food insecurity is most common in large cities but still exists in rural areas, suburbs and other outlying areas around large cities.
25 % of households with children living in metropolitan areas are food-insecure.
Federal nutrition programs play one of the most important roles in helping parents and children build and maintain health.
So what's it going to take to eliminate hunger in the United States besides Federal programs and local food banks? Advocate and spokesman for No Kid Hungry, Jeff Bridges stated,
"Public charities, food banks and church pantries are doing more than ever before, but they can't keep up with the need. We can never end hunger only through the wonderful work of local charities. Like other Western democracies, we must end our national problem of hunger through national and political leadership. Charity is nice for some things, but not as a way to feed a nation. We don't protect our national security through charity, and we shouldn't protect our families and children that way either."
For additional resources, stories, action plans, research and more visit the
No Kid Hungry website https://www.nokidhungry.org/the-problem
