Stephanie Murray. Sjs165. Ryan Gunderson. May 1 2017. Call

When asked about the hunger problems in America one would imagine a homeless person asking and begging for food in the streets. However, what we fail to understand is that hunger is closer to us than what we think. A fellow co-worker or perhaps even the next door neighbor may be an example of someone who suffers from food insecurity. Food insecurity is when a person does not know when or where the next meal will come from. Food insecurity is most likely to develop in food deserts, a place where there is little to no fruits, vegetables and whole healthy foods. The documentary, A Place At The Table, is attempting to shed light on the argument that many Americans suffer from food insecurity because of low income and as result those individuals face various complications.

Food insecurity is the “state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. It is a widespread problem on college campuses across the nation. While food insecurity only impacts 14% of households, 48% of college students claim to be food insecure. This problem disproportionately impacts first generation college students, students of color, and students who need financial aid, as noted by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness.

Poverty is an issue that can be discussed at great lengths, but the real challenge is finding effective ways to reduce or eradicate poverty. It is important to spend quality time developing approaches to the issue of poverty and how to alleviate it. Individuals living in poverty lead a life of limited opportunities and one of these limited opportunities is access to good quality healthy food. The American Nutrition Association considers this lack of access as a Food Desert defined as, “parts of the country vapid of fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthful whole foods, usually found in impoverished areas” ("USDA Defines Food Deserts | American Nutrition Association," n.d.). One way in which American’s can work towards a future with less poverty and eventually one with little to no poverty would be to eliminate the existence of Food Deserts.

Without communication to honest grocery supplies, people end up with expensive, or buying food with partial nutritional value, or both. Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential for a fit diet are short supply. Food deserts can result in deprived health, stretched budgets for those who can afford it, or long bus trips to other neighborhoods. Worse, the dilemma of grocery access is brutal for the elderly, single parents, and the disable. It’s not just an inner-city land use concern, it’s a problem with intense social justice implication.

People are without food worldwide. When we think of malnutrition and food insecurity we think about poverty stricken nations. The United States of America is not really discussed when it comes to food scarcity, but in reality this problem is prevalent in America and affects more than just homeless people. Some of the people that you least expect have to live without the adequate amount of food for survival. Scarcity of food is ignored by even the government and is embarrassing to those who have to live this struggle. The documentary A Place at the Table presents the food struggle in the U.S. with families who are suffering from a lack of food. This deficiency can cause serious health complications and can affect all aspects of life.

Last summer I volunteered at our local Planting Hope event. We distrituted food products from the Maryland Food Bank to people of lower-income in my local town. We also gave shoes and clothes to those who needed them. What I learned after this experience is the realism of poverty and hunger in our country and even my hometown. What may seem to be a prevalent idea for third-world countries far from our homeland, the reality is that poverty and hunger are located closer than we think. Over thirteen percent of Americans are food insecure which seems untrue, but in fact it is a reality that sometimes we ignore. Planting Hope has not only signalled this issue into me, but has allowed me to want to learn more about other issues and rising issues

Food insecurity is a term that indicates the limited capability to afford nutritionally adequate and safe food or the limited ability to obtain adequate foods in socially acceptable ways (1-2). In 2015, 13% of all U.S. households, which represents 42.2 million people (including 29.1 million adults and 13.1 million children), were food insecure (3) and food insecurity was found to be present in every county in the United States, ranging from a low of 4% in Loudoun County, VA to a high of 38% in Jefferson County, MS (4).

Food is a basic need; in an ideal world, food would be a resource that could be equally accessible to any and all persons. Although, in more recent times, terms such as food deserts and food insecurity have been the topic of many conversations that concern different socioeconomic groups and how that relates to their overall health. Food deserts are communities where occupants who live in an area in which affordable and healthy foods are not in close proximity or readily available. An article written by Nadine L. Camp, a nurse practitioner at Children’s National Medical Center stated that food insecurities have been on the rise in the United States with a prevalence within at least 15% of households and around 20% of households with children

Metropolitan region are increasing simultaneously while donations to local food banks are decreasing. According to Federation of Virginia food banks, (2014) “Virginia’s 11.8% food insecurity rate means that over 912,790 people do not know from where their next meal will come. With the average cost of a meal in Virginia being $2.68, Feeding America ‘Map the Meal Gap ‘concluded that an additional $406,935,780 would be needed to meet the state’s food needs”(para. 1). The research further explains that “… With donations over the past years, decreasing by as much as 50% and food assistance requests increasing as much as 40%, our food banks are in crisis and need major support to meet the needs of Virginia’s food insecure” (para. 4). In addition, according to the Darden Foundation, (2014) “about 35 million tons of food waste reaches landfills and incinerators each year in the United States” (para. 1). Devising and implementing programs to reduce our food waste as well as a donation program, has multiple benefits for all stakeholders and the

During our visits to help with housing construction in local villages, I was able to offer a simple meal of rice and beans to children and elderly adults and watch the pure joy erupt on their faces as they were given a proper meal, perhaps the first full meal they had for several days. In stark contrast, we take for granted the availability of substantial quantities of food and drink every single day, something we are fortunate and extremely privileged to have available to us . We can't afford to be wasteful, or picky with what we eat when so many of our fellow mankind are living day to day not knowing where their next meal might come from, or if it will come at

Nowadays, students are coming face to face with their food waste, and its environmental and social impact, a lot more often. They also have more opportunities do something about it, Ben Simon, founder Food Recovery Network, has helped college students recover untouched food and donate it to local organizations that need it. This organization has established concepts relating to food waste that students see and understand. Simon also brings light to facts that the college student doesn’t want to think about, “About 40 percent of all food in the U.S. never even makes it to the plate before it's tossed. Yet 1 in 6 Americans goes hungry” (Poon 1). College students collaborating with organizations like Food Recovery Network are making a difference and helping the world to become a better environment for future generations. The generations before these “millennials” didn’t care to think about the devastating effects the earth would experience due to their constant pollution and waste. They didn’t care about the planet or wasting food. Stopping food waste does not just involve the food from dining halls, it also involves the food bought. “It’s estimated that 6 billion pounds of U.S. fruits and vegetables are discarded annually, often for cosmetic reasons. Tasty and nutritious produce is being rejected by exacting retail standards because of blemishes: an orange that isn’t exactly 1 ¼ inches across, an apple with minor surface scarring or a bell pepper that won’t stand up” (Rosenberg 1). Instead of throwing out they imperfect fruit and vegetables like grocery stores would do, college students would rather buy them. It is cheaper and better for the earth. Those 6 billion pounds of fruit can feed people for a long time and help when they are in need. It will also make the world “greener” and promote a better way of live. People would be less snobby with their food, and realize that a blemish doesn’t

Food insecurity, defined as insufficient access to nutritionally adequate foods, has been a fast growing concern among college students who have been under increasing financial pressure due to the escalating costs of tuition and educational resources. The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of food insecurity among a sample of college students at Lehman College. A self-administered survey consisting of 12 questions pertaining to food insecurity, as well as demographic and academic attributes, was completed by 180 students at different sites on campus. Food insecurity affected 15.5% of respondents. Nearly one quarter (25%) of students reported being unable to eat balanced or nutritious meals due to a lack of money, while 13% had to decrease the size of their meals or skip meals because there wasn’t enough money for food. Students who reported poor or fair health status, GPA lower than 3.0, and participation in food assistance programs were more likely to be food insecure. These findings suggest that students are at increased risk for food insecurity. Implementation of a sustainable on-campus food bank, along with increasing the availability of nutritious foods from edible gardens, can be major stepping stones toward food security in this often neglected population.

More than 45 million people in the U.S alone live under the poverty line, where every moment they think about how they’re going to feed their children, their parents, their siblings. It is easy to take things for granted especially things such as food where most of us haven’t experienced true starvation.

In the Logan Square neighborhood, there is a lack of viable grocery store options. Nonetheless, throughout the City of Chicago there is an abundant amount of restaurants and food options; however, many of these food options are not the healthiest. As stated by the Food Empowerment Project, a food desert is typically “Described as geographic areas where residents’ access to affordable, healthy food options [...] is restricted or nonexistent due to the absence of grocery stores within convenient travelling distance.” Moreover, the people who live in these food deserts are low income families and minorities. These food deserts are the leading cause of food insecurity. Food insecurity is defined as limited or uncertain availability of nutritious food options.

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