No One Should Go to Sleep Hungry, but Thousands Do

We are living in a time of near-record economic expansion. Consumer confidence has reached its highest level in more than a decade and unemployment is at its lowest level in nearly a quarter of a century. Yet despite all of this prosperity and growth, an epidemic threatens many of our neighbors. The epidemic is hunger.

A comprehensive study of hunger in America by Second Harvest, a national network of food banks, found that 21 million Americans received emergency food assistance in 1997. It concludes that of the Americans served at emergency feeding sites, nearly 38% are children under the age of 18. Sixteen percent are seniors 65 or older and 39% of the households have at least one adult who is working. More than 47% are white, 32% are African American and 14.6% are Latino. This study not only illustrates the extent of the problem of hunger but breaks the stereotypical image of who is using charitable food programs in the nation.

The most disturbing news is that many Orange County residents are not aware or do not believe that our affluent community is afflicted with a hunger problem. Yet 400,000 men, women and children in Orange County risk going to bed hungry sometime each month. This is 16% of the county’s population and would fill Disneyland to capacity six times.

Who are the hungry in Orange County? The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County reports that more than 180,000 people each month receive food assistance through its network of 297 nonprofit member charities. Of the 180,000 people served each month by the food bank, 42% are children under the age of 18 and 16% are seniors. Many are neither jobless nor homeless. Frequently, it’s a family hit by sudden medical expenses or senior citizens living on fixed incomes. And lack of food, along with other unmet physical, emotional and social needs, is a key contributing factor to homelessness.

It is hard to believe that poverty exists amid this wealth, yet 8.4% of the population in this county lives below the federal poverty level. It is unacceptable that of the individuals at risk of going to bed hungry, many of are from our most vulnerable populations--children and senior citizens. Hunger affects these groups in a number of negative ways.

A study conducted by the Tufts University Center on Hunger, Poverty and Nutrition Policy found that hungry children suffer from two to three times as many individual health problems as children of families who do not incur food shortages. The infant mortality rate is closely linked to inadequate quantity or quality in mothers’ diets. Hunger has a negative impact on a child’s ability to learn and also contributes to developmental and behavioral damage that is oftentimes irreparable.

According to the Food and Research Action Center, hunger and malnutrition exacerbate chronic and acute diseases and speed the onset of degenerative diseases among the elderly. This not only leads to an unnecessary decrease in the quality of life for many older people but also increases the cost of health care in the United States.

Since government accounts for only 13.4% of publicly distributed food, the private sector must make up the difference. We must all support the work of charitable organizations that provide basic services to the thousands of hungry people in need. These organizations are filling the breach on a daily basis and need our help. Each of us can do our part by spending time working with local charities and by donating resources to your local food bank.

At the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, for instance, a donation of $1 translates to 30 meals. The Food Bank is able to accomplish this by capturing much of the food that normally would go to waste and channeling it to those in need. But to achieve its mission, the food bank must rely upon the resources of a dedicated community to help. Individuals can give donations of food, money or their time.

Lastly, we must educate one another and create awareness for this preventable problem. We must strengthen the knowledge and capacity of local organizations engaged in public policy and advocacy efforts in the areas of hunger and poverty.

I urge everyone to do one thing each month to help someone in need. Let’s work together to win the war against hunger. In these times, there is absolutely no reason why anyone should have to go to bed hungry--especially a child.