Life
If you haven’t experienced it first hand, the idea of truly “going hungry” is hard to imagine. And the idea of “ending hunger” can sound ambiguous and lofty, like a cliche answer at a beauty pageant. However, living without sufficient food is a reality for many, and you don’t have to look far to find people affected by hunger. In the US, an estimated 13.1 million children don’t have access to enough food. For them, ending hunger isn’t lofty; it’s life-saving. Many organizations are already finding ways to combat child hunger. Here’s how you can help work towards making sure no kids are going hungry.
A new study on food insecurity in children, published in the latest issue of the science journal Child Development, found significant correlation to child hunger and a child’s performance in school. That in itself may not be new information to you. What may be surprising is the longer-term effects the study found that hunger has on kids’ development. The study found experiencing food insecurity in their first five years of life makes children more likely to be behind socially, emotionally, and to a degree, cognitively when they start kindergarten.
Anna Johnson, one of the study’s authors, tells NPR, “kids who enter the kindergarten door behind, tend to stay behind. They do not catch up." Johnson found that kindergarteners who experienced food insecurity early in life were also more likely to have behavior issues at school, being more hyperactive or throwing tantrums.
Even if the children themselves are getting enough to eat, growing up in a household that experiences food insecurity impacts kids. Johnson tells NPR that previous studies show when parents are hungry, it affects how they interact with their kids. Hungry parents are more likely to be irritable or distracted and less likely to be engaged with their children.
No family should have to worry about where their next meal is coming from. No child’s education should have to suffer because they haven’t had enough to eat. Here are 10 ways you can help combat child hunger and give kids a stronger start in school.
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Donate to 'No Kid Hungry'
No Kid Hungry is a campaign to end childhood hunger in the US. In addition to giving families food, No Kid Hungry has programs that provide tools to create sustainable healthy habits, like health and wellness education and food budget planning. You can donate to No Kid Hungry here.
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Donate to 'Help the Children'
Help the Children is feeding hungry families in the US and across the world. They're combating childhood hunger by delivering food to those who need it. Donate to Help the Children here.
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Donate to 'Feed the Children'
Feed the Children is a non-profit organization making sure no kid goes to bed hungry. For every dollar you give, it multiplies by five. So, a $25 donation provides $125 worth of food and necessities to someone who needs it. You can donate to Feed the Children here.
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Vote for Candidates Dedicated to Ending Hunger
Do your current representatives support programs that provide food to those in need? If not, make sure they know they don't have your vote come reelection. Like the Vote to End Hunger campaign during last election cycle says, ending hunger should not be a partisan issue.