“Being hungry is possibly the worst feeling anyone could ever experience, and honestly, when you’re hungry, you can’t be productive, and you can’t really do anything. And I just remember, sometimes in school I would definitely be hungry,” said 17-year-old New York City high school senior Ninaad Dave. During the recession, his father had to close the small business he’d successfully run for 25 years but found another job after nearly nine months of unemployment. “Now, when I am able to have a nice meal or eat, I’m just always thankful that there is food on the table, there is food in my stomach. I’m just always considerate, and I always think back when I was hungry and how privileged all of us are to eat.”
So many American families, including my own, celebrate Thanksgiving Day with a traditional feast and an overabundance of food. In many homes, the sight of a table with enough food for everyone to eat and to get seconds and even thirds is actually nothing special. The tablecloths and menu might be a little fancier on Thanksgiving but every night there’s something in the house for dinner and everyone goes to bed full. For some families Thanksgiving may be the only meal of the year where they pause long enough before eating to truly give thanks for the food in front of them. But for millions of our neighbors -- including Ninaad Dave and children like him -- they cannot always count on the next meal.
Sixteen million U.S. households are food insecure -- struggling to afford food their family needs. With record numbers of families living in poverty and unemployed and food prices increasing, one in seven Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or food stamps. The overwhelming majority -- three quarters -- are families with children. The latest data showed that in August nearly 46 million Americans relied on food stamps to eat -- the 37th straight month the number has increased, and the highest number since food stamps began in 1939. These families do not take any meals for granted.
Like so many American children, Ninaad knows what it’s like to feel hungry. He recently told the Children’s Defense Fund, “I’ve always tried to do what I could to help my family out and achieve the American dream.” For most of his childhood, that meant being helpful with his mother’s health problems at home and a good student at school. But when his father was struggling to keep his business afloat and it became harder for his family to make ends meet, Ninaad found a new way to help: “It was very visible that the business wasn’t doing as well. So I would just try to help alleviate the problem by just making a note to eat at school, to take advantage of school meal programs, eat breakfast at school in the morning, eat school lunch, and then come home and have just, you know, a small meal... I just felt that there should be enough food to go around for everyone, and that my dad was just doing the best he could, so I shouldn’t have to be burdensome.” After his father became unemployed, Ninaad really learned what it was like to go hungry --- “possibly the worst experience anybody could ever go through.”
On December 14th, Ninaad is being celebrated by the Children’s Defense Fund-New York City’s Beat the Odds® program as one of five exceptional high school students who have overcome tremendous challenges to excel academically and give back to their community. They will receive a scholarship, college counseling, a laptop computer, and an invitation to join CDF’s youth leadership training ladder to help pave the road to college and a successful adulthood.
Hunger and food insecurity are particularly devastating for children and Ninaad and millions of young people like him will never forget how it feels to be hungry. Proper nutrition is essential to a child’s health, development, and well-being. Hunger and poor nutrition are linked to low birthweight and birth defects, obesity, mental and dental health problems, and poor education outcomes. We know safety net programs like food stamps, WIC—the Women, Infants and Children -- nutrition program, summer feeding and school food programs work to combat child hunger. In the current recession they have proved to be indispensable lifelines for the millions of jobless families with no cash income in our rich nation.
During this Thanksgiving week, I hope those political leaders who refuse to invest in creating new jobs to help struggling families while protecting tax breaks for the richest Americans and corporations and refuse to ask the privileged to contribute their fair share in this difficult economic period will reflect on what their and America’s true values are. I believe it’s morally unconscionable that the rich should keep getting richer while the poor get poorer—and hungrier.
Follow Marian Wright Edelman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ChildDefender
If taxes are the solution, then I suggest a 100% value added black friday tax. Remember a $200 laptop is more important than people.
CTD-circling the drain
The US is neither a poor nor an overpopulated country, and yet there are families here struggling to put food on the table. The resources are abundant, but not distributed quickly or evenly. The real culprits causing hunger are politics and racism.
I was at a supermarket this year. I passed by a table where they were collecting money for children to eat. When I passed (without contributing) the woman behind the table said "...Well the children have to eat". I said to her "that's what they have parents for".
She looked at me as though I was speaking in tongues.
That's what it has come down to. No self reliance. No initiative. Just welfare, food stamps, and whining. This is a free country. Don't want to work? Don't eat. Either way, I don't care.
Need a job? Get off your butt and go to North Dakota. 3.5% unemployment and they are looking for workers. What's stopping you Ninaad?
Oh yeah? Hey Big Totti -- I'll bet the house the two major employers in ND that are in need of workers are Wal-Mart and McDonald's. If you honestly think anyone (including Ninaad) can support themselves or a family working LONG hours (i.e. at least 60 hrs./wk) for VERY PUNY wages then WHY DON'T YOU LEAD THE WAY? It's time for cold-hearted, perennially selfish folks like you to PUT UP OR SHUT UP!
Bobcat Company
Butler Machinery
Dakota Gasification Co. & Great Plains Synfuels Plant
Great River Energy - Coal Creek Station
Imation Corp
Goodrich Corp
there are plenty more where those came from. I chose the largest, but there is a booming healthcare and insurance industry as well. With the increase in companies moving there and the relatively small population, I would bet that the unemplyment rate will stay low and may even go lower.
by the way Mr. smarty pants, if BigTotti is fine where he's at, why should he lead the way. Heck you could lead the way and put your money where your big mouth is.
“And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written,.... In Deuteronomy 8:3
that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God; When American's expense justice and truth amongst the suffering and poor in spirit alike, the true bread of the Gospel will be served, but to the suggest whereby a meal is sufficient over that when it is the will of God that we value truth and that we expense justice and mercy "the sufferings will continue". Cultures as well as the human nature may be maintained by the influence of divine power, without the use of ordinary means; and that bread itself, without a divine blessing, would not support life; and so not this stone, or stones, if turned into it: The influential American, knows it is the heart of his existence, "it became him", as man, to depend upon God, submit to his will, and wait the issue of providence, who had brought him thither, and not take any such steps to remove his hunger; and especially at his solicitations, who had no other end, but to have him, if he could, at his beck and will. By "every word of God", is not meant all Scripture, and every part of it, which given by inspiration of God, and may be said to proceed out of his mouth;
I could not add nothing-Spoken like a true American--
they earn six figures with full benefits while wrecking the economy for us and legislating everything for us while exempting themselves....WHY?????
is this okay with everyone???
what can we, collectively, do about it???
Why are you comparing America to those countries? The people in this wonderfully rich country SHOULD be better off than what they are experiencing...this article points out that altho. a man may own a business and work very hard, his family can go hungry.....
Despite the boohoo whining from The McCains and Grahams and Panettas about how ANY cuts in defense would lead to Al qaeda storming the borders and our military immediately becoming McHale's Navy....
anyone being honest and rational knows that we could and SHOULD make serious cuts in defense spending,and even more importantly,we should eliminate an enormous amount of foreign aid....
the idea that we are giving billions and billions of dollars to other countries-ANY other country-while there is still even one single starving American child,seems wrong.
Im not advocating complete isolationism,however....
homelessness is still a SERIOUS problem;hunger is still a SERIOUS problem and healthcare is still a SERIOUS problem.
both parties insist that we simply cant afford to provide enough hc to American citizens to keep them even reasonably healthy-we MUST cut medicare and ESPECIALLY medicaid,yet we can still afford to provide billions of dollars to other nations?
I think it's the congressional reform act of 2011...but they wouldn't submit and pass it...it takes away their power and money. what to do?
I definitely am not suggesting we eliminate foreign aid.It is crucual for any number of reasons-including the point Michelle Bachmann made about Pakistan in the last debate(even a broken clock is right twice a day)....I completely agree that it is necessary.I just meant that a great deal is UNnecessary.
and as long as pols insist that we cant AFFORD to invest in education,infrastructure-which is bad enough,but also that we cant even afford to work harder towards improving things like healthcare,homelessness and hunger in our country-I have a huge problem w/ any foreign aid not absolutely crucial.