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As a 2nd grade teacher in a USA public school, I feel it’s important to clarify a few things I’ve seen recently concerning the myth that kids in the US aren’t going hungry.
The US has one of the highest poverty rates among developed nations. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/11/why-rich-countries-are-seeing-more-poverty/
If you aren’t familiar with the term “food desert”, I urge you to read up on it. Millions of Americans don’t have access to real food. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/06/09/business/food-deserts-coronavirus-grocery-stores/index.html
Childhood hunger is a SERIOUS problem in the US. Millions of kids go hungry every day. https://www.savethechildren.org/us/what-we-do/health/hunger-in-the-us
Due to COVID, 1 in 4 kids in the US are going hungry.
That number is probably higher since schools are closed and that’s where millions of kids get their only meal of the day.
The US has the most COVID cases and deaths in the world. Millions of families don’t have anywhere to work or live.
I live in one of the wealthiest towns in the country. This means food and housing prices are estee my inflated. which makes it harder for families to survive.
Wealth means inequitable access to basic human needs, rather than the myth that everyone is doing well.
The US has the highest income inequality of all G7 countries. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/02/07/6-facts-about-economic-inequality-in-the-u-s/%3Famp%3D1
The statistics above regarding the poverty level should be analyzed though the lens of the economic crisis brought about by COVID i.e., it’s much worse than current data indicate.
The county I live in has 20k residents. 100,000 free meals have been given to kids. This has only been possible through a generous donation. Most communities aren’t able to do this.
As a teacher, I can tell you that I’ve had significant numbers of kids in my class that go hungry and suffer from malnutrition. The only meal they get is the one they eat at school. I’ve secretly stashed apples and granola bars in their backpacks to make sure they have food.
Helping feed the US right now is responding to an immediate crisis that will benefit millions of children.
It’s unfair to say Americans think they are the best. I’m grateful to live in a country where I can speak my mind and worship as I choose, but it hasn’t been easy.
My dad fought in WW II to help people that endured unimaginable suffering. My dad taught me to work hard and help others without question because that’s how Jesus lived.
Feeding children, no matter where they live is a noble cause. To bicker about where people live that are hungry and getting fed is cruel.
Buddha and Jesus lived their lives practicing compassion and love for all humanity.
Would Christ ask a child or family their religion, nationality, or political views before offering them food? Should we do the same in this time of great human suffering?
If you still aren’t convinced, come visit me and I’ll take you to public schools full of hungry kids that struggle to learn because they are malnourished.
