Hunger In California Literature Review

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

School lunches are often unsung heroes of many modern American households. Frequently overlooked and disregarded because of their stigma, school lunches are a key ingredient that may help make the world a better place. Unknowingly, great numbers of individuals in our communities deal with food insecurities every day of their lives. It baffles me that in an advanced society many people do not have the resources to provide food for themselves or their families. Until it affected me personally, I was unaware nor passionate about the struggles of food insecurity. My passion for solving food insecurity in my local community has led me to gain both experience and leadership through understanding and advocating for those around me.

Another reason kids live in poverty and go hungry is their parents don't have a high education or have no education. The effect is that parents can only get a minimum wage job with their skills and education level. This is not enough money to support a family with kids. “The Southern Education Foundation found that, for the first time in 40 years, the majority of public school students in 13 southern and four western states are living at poverty levels. ("Rising Child Poverty") The wages are decreasing for the less educated for families with kids this is not good.

A. How many of you are worried about where your next meal will come from? Are you unsure of how you’re going to purchase next week’s groceries or what you will be feeding your children for dinner tonight? This probably isn’t something most of you think about from day to day. When you are hungry, you eat. It’s easy for you to grab a sandwich, order a pizza, or run through the drive thru when you are on the go. However, there are many families, not just in other countries, but here in the United States as well, that are going hungry every day. According to kidshealth.org, a child dies from malnutrition and related causes every 6 seconds.

Hunger has been a prevalent issue in both established communities and struggling nations around the globe. It seems that there has never been a time when every person on the planet was food secure, and while it is typically assumed that hunger is an issue only in developing nations, malnutrition and hunger are concerns even in the United States. Millions of children across the country live in homes where food is scarce and meals are skipped on a regular basis. Because research supports the connection between nutrition, good health, and cognitive ability, it is critical that methods of addressing food shortages for minor children be found. One solution, the School Breakfast Program, seeks to provide healthy breakfast meals for children

The United States faces many social problems. One of these problems is child hunger. It has sociological origins and challenges for government and citizens alike.

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.

Johnny gets home from school and makes his way straight to the kitchen. He is hungry and wants a quick, yummy snack, but when he opens up the fridge, there is nothing there. Now he has to wait until his mom brings home dinner at six o'clock. Can you imagine what it would be like to experience this every day? Unbelievable, right? Well, for many children and families, this is their reality. What could possibly cause this, what are the effects, and what are people doing to help these poor families? A large number of children do not have access to fresh and nutritious food, due to lack of supermarkets or living on food stamps. This lack of healthy food can affect childhood development immensely and can lead to obesity and other diseases. Many people are doing what they can to help, like opening community gardens, connecting farms, restaurants, and hotels with food banks, and organizing food drives.

Another reason kids live in poverty and go hungry is their parents don't have a high paying job. This is caused by the education level. Parents can only get a minimum wage job with their skills and education level. This is not enough money to support a family with kids. “The Southern Education Foundation found that, for the first time in 40 years, the majority of public school students in 13 southern and four western states are living at poverty levels” ("Rising Child Poverty"). The wages are decreasing for the less educated, for families with kids this is very bad. This is how families end up in poverty. Another effect is when kids are hungry they don't do as will in school. They can’t pay attention and learn. This means they don't have the required skills to get a job ("Rising Child Poverty").

Poverty is a growing health issue for the youth of American. Poor nutrition is harmful for anyone but children have a more vulnerability and can lead to more potential long term consequences. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) states that 13.1 million children under 18 years old in the US live in households who are consistently unable to access nutritious foods that are necessary for a healthy life (Feeding America, 2016). The top five states in 2014 to rate the highest for food-insure children under 18 were Mississippi, New Mexico, Arizona, Alabama, and Arkansas. Feeding America is a food bank that is leading the fight against hunger in communities nationwide. Their network feeds more than 12 million hungry children nationwide with a variety of programs. Of the 12 million children that are served by the foundation, over 3.5 million are children who are ages 5 and under. Unemployment is a leading factor for poverty and hunger in American.

Low-income children’s education is a lot worse than high-income children. Children in low income families can suffer from hunger. According to FRAC, Food Research & Action Center, low-income families can not afford the nutrition their children need for school. Families are usually limited in resources and lack access to healthy affordable foods. Fast food restaurants are more affordable and easier to get in and out of than more expensive restaurants. Parents of low-income children are always on the move from job to job and never have time to work with their children. This shows that hunger is a major problem low-income families face.

We, as a Team, believe that children should not go hungry in Oregon. According to census and government data from 2012, 22% of American children live in poverty and 16 million live in households that are food insecure (Walshe, 2014). It's a particular problem for Oregon. "Our hungry children being No. 1 in the country is not helping the state's educational performance," says Dr. Dana Hargunani, an OHSU pediatrician and the new children's health director at the Oregon Health Authority. (Sarasohn, 2011).

Schools in high-poverty areas with most children in need of free or reduced lunch, tend to do well with these new regulations. However, schools will less kids eligible for free or reduced lunch do not do so well, and a lot of districts in this category have dropped the program. Theory is that schools with more children than not eligible for free or reduced lunch, are more likely to eat what is served to them. “Some of our students show up for breakfast and haven’t had anything to eat since lunch the day before” (Hill). The Executive Director of Nutritional services points out a harsh fact, and the good these lunch programs bring to table.

The national school lunch program includes assistance provided to children and poor family to get healthy food and right nutrition through school facility. This program helps them to achieve a healthy life for their children with food composed of balanced essential nutrients. The Primary food programs include Lunch programs, Breakfast programs and the Special milk program. The total amount spent on these programs depends on the cost of the commodity required