Each summer about 18 million
children in America lose their free school meals. Losing access to lunch may
sound minor, but one kid going hungry is a devastating reality which leaves
food-insecure children unsure of where their next meal will come from. The reality
is devastating, leaving food-insecure children unsure of where their next meal
will come from. Food insecurity is a lack of access to affordable, nutritious
food to live
a healthy life. This often leaves families to make
decisions like: “Should I pay my bills, buy this medicine, or buy nutritious
food for my children?”
Food Insecurity has three
components:
·
Available
food options must be nutritious, fresh, and unprocessed.
·
People
must have reliable access to nutritious food at all times.
·
The
food must be affordable.
The negative impact is bigger than
simply being hungry: eating nutritious food gives children the mental strength
they need to improve their day to day activities. Children from food insecure
households are more likely to be in poor health. This affects their ability to
learn and to grow. For many, there are lifelong implications that a child may
never reach their full potential as a result of poor nutrition during their
formative years and that affects us all. Food insecurity can affect people who
live above, as well as below, the poverty line.
You may have equal access to the
same grocery stores as someone in a different financial situation, but most
often you can’t or don’t always make the same choices. For instance, people
facing poverty are often less likely to purchase the healthiest, most
nutritious options for a number of reasons like lack of prep time, or simply
that cheaper, more processed options are more affordable.
A common way to measure poverty is the federal poverty level,
a number set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The federal
poverty level is the minimum amount of money a family needs each year to afford
the necessities of life: food, clothing, shelter and transportation. In 2018, the federal poverty level was
$25,750 for a family of four. Tragically, a huge number of
Americans fall below this line. Almost 40 million people (12% of all Americans)
lived in poverty in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Of that number,
over 13 million were children.
Afterschool
Meals-The
afterschool meals program helps children get
the nutritious meals they need in a safe, supervised location after the school
day ends. This program is the newest federal child nutrition program. It
ensures that more children, families, and teachers know about it and are able
to take advantage of it. The afterschool meals program is one of the
fastest-growing meals programs in the country, but is still only reaching a
fraction of children in need. In 2017, schools served only 9% of the snacks and
suppers children need every day.
Federal Food Programs-The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program (SNAP) provides low-income families with money to
purchase food. 20 million children in the U.S. rely on SNAP benefits. SNAP is
one of the most effective and efficient federal programs, as well as one of the
most responsive, providing additional assistance to needy families during
economic downturns and natural disasters.
It’s also one of the most-needed: 45 million Americans rely on SNAP
benefits to buy food each month. Two-thirds of these benefits go to households with children. In
addition to SNAP, one of the most important and effective federal nutrition
programs is the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
WIC benefits are primarily for children under the age of five or women who are pregnant
or breastfeeding.
WIC serves 53% of all infants
born in the U.S.
7.7 million mothers and children relied on WIC benefits to buy food in 2016.
Through WIC, mothers can get nutritious foods for their young children, as well
as access to important services at WIC clinics. This includes nutrition
education, counseling and referrals to local health and welfare agencies.
School
Breakfast-Making
breakfast part of the regular school day, just like lunch, has a powerful
effect on children. That’s why educators, political leaders, and local
nonprofit organizations across the country need to change the way schools serve
breakfast.
22 million children in the U.S. rely on the free or reduced-price lunch
they receive at school, and every one of them is eligible for free
breakfast as well. But as many as 3 million children aren't getting
the breakfast they need because of the way it's served in
schools.
Summer Meals-6 out of 7 hungry children
don't get the summer meals they need. Millions of children rely on school for
regular meals. In the summer, those meals disappear. Currently, the national summer meals programs reaches just
15 percent of the children who need help when school is out of session.
Community leaders need to fund new summer meals sites, as well as advocate for
needed changes to the national summer meals program.
“35 million people in the U.S. are hungry
or don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and 13 million of them are
children. If another country were doing this to our children, we’d be at war.” (Jeff
Bridges)[i]
[i] Sources used:
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