Why is there Food Starvation in America?
Going to Bed Hungry
Last night I heard an alarming statistic on the televised nightly news. In Texas 22% of all children go to bed not knowing from where their next meal will come! Folks...this is cause for some serious concern. Starvation exists in America, the so called "Land of Plenty."
While the news media is packed with diet aide commercials and the latest weight loss trends for the many obese people living here, there are other people (including children!) who may be living next door or around the block who will never be concerned with having to shed excess pounds. Hunger and starvation is stamped upon their faces and resides deep within their belly's.
Much of the media focus is directed towards the starving people in Africa and other places around the world. Some reasons given are warfare which drives people from their homes or they risk genocide if they stay in place, droughts and other natural conditions. We are saddened by this plight of people in far away places as we munch on our pizzas delivered to our doors and sip on our sodas.
Except for a few who are dedicated to world hunger relief, the rest of us are easily distracted and our thoughts are quickly diverted elsewhere.
Food Relief
Occasionally we are tempted to contribute to some charity offering food relief and this is commendable. Countless people of the world need our help! And those very people might be living around the corner from us or in that car we passed on the street.
There are red barrels begging to be filled in almost every grocery store in America. Some thoughtful souls contribute a can or two of food or some dried package mix that they throw into the barrel on their way out of the store. Many grocery stores have bags already made up and tagged with useful items of non-perishable food that can be added to our grocery bill and left in these barrels as a donation.
Sadly, others use the barrels for trash. The volunteers who regularly pick up the contributions to take to food pantries have to sort through the barrels to separate the well intended and useful commodities from the refuse.
How and why could this be happening right here in America? How could this most basic of needs go unsatisfied in one of the wealthiest of countries?
Contributing Causes for Food Shortages
There are many causes of food shortages world wide. As human beings sharing the same planet we should all take part and do what we can to help the helpless. Sadly many of the people affected are our planet's children.
- Ignorance plays a part in this. Clear cutting old growth forests (which we need for our life giving oxygen supply) to plant seeds for food does not ordinarily work beyond a crop or two. The ground that allowed the forests to thrive is for the most part not fertile enough to support food crops.
- Dislocated people who are driven by warfare into camps where they can no longer secure their own food become dependent upon others to supply their daily needs. This places a burden on the normal supply and demand for foodstuffs.
- Growing corn and other crops to be converted into bio-fuel is an inefficient way of producing more fuel, but it also takes away a certain percentage of food out of the available supply that could have been feeding hungry people.
- Those of us who eat domestic cattle and other animals (and I am guilty) take food from other hungry mouths. Why? It takes more vegetative matter such as corn and grains to feed the animals than the proportion of meat that is derived when those animals are slaughtered. Just a cold hard fact. If we meat eaters of the world would simply cut back and eat a meatless meal a little more often, the food supply for the rest of the world would gradually be enlarged.
- Greed also plays a role. Raising the prices of such a basic commodity as rice when it becomes too expensive for many people around the globe to purchase, causes needless hunger. Have our corporations become so heartless? I'm afraid that the answer in some cases is yes. Would the shareholders of these companies who are receiving better profits be as happy with them if they knew that the end result was causing people to starve and die? I think not, at least I hope so. This is happening right now! Prices of rice have risen substantially around the world.
These are just some of the reasons causing food shortages around the world. It is by no means an exhaustive list.
What Can We Do?
Plenty!
Considering that a great number of the people in the world live on a dollar or two per day, if each of us would forego a little something on a daily or weekly basis and consider giving what we would have spent to a local food pantry or a national or international charity, the impact would be huge.
How about foregoing a movie or if you go to that movie, how about foregoing the normal food and drink you'd ordinarily purchase and put it in an envelope dedicated to feeding the hungry?
How about foregoing your daily cup of coffee at least once in a while and putting that unspent money in that same envelope?
Next time you go grocery shopping, think of donating something to help feed the hungry. If you make it a habit and everyone started doing just a little, we could collectively help stamp out hunger. Relate grocery shopping to thinking of the hungry, not simply your own desire to stock your shelves and refrigerator with food.
This memory still resonates with me.
For almost 15 years I worked as a volunteer counselor at an assistance ministry. Some of what we were able to offer was to help with food assistance. When the ministry was still small, we counselors (after listening to and documenting the crisis) were able to fill a couple of grocery bags and help carry them to the people's cars if food was what they needed.
On this one particular day a box of cereal was showing at the top of the bag that I had just filled. A mother had her two small children with her and the eyes of the little boy had spotted the box of cereal. He looked up at his mother and said with eager excitement "Look Mommy! Cereal!"
I remember thinking to myself that this was obviously a rare treat.
Had Santa Claus just delivered a sack filled with toys, the excitement in this little child's face and voice would not have been any greater than what I had just experienced seeing and hearing firsthand.
Fortunately we were able to help the mother and her little brood that day with some food and possibly some other assistance. I no longer remember her plight. I just remember her son's happy response to seeing that box of cereal.
Won't you consider sharing a bit of food, money or your time to help stamp out hunger?
If every time we go grocery shopping we think about those that are hungry and we contribute just some loose change or toss in a can of corn or a bag of rice into those barrels, we will be helping people like that little boy who was so excited to see that box of cereal.
Will you help?
Will you do your small part to help eradicate hunger and starvation here in the land of plenty and beyond our seashores?
Do you think of hungry people when you go grocery shopping?
A terrific video putting this into perspective...
Terrific posts from other Hubpage writers regarding the use of food and or food starvation.
- Americans Throw Away 165 BILLION Dollars Worth of Good Food Every Year Because of Sell-By Dates!
- Sam and Esther starvation in the midst of plenty is the real pornography
© 2009 Peggy Woods
Comments are welcomed.
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Hi Au fait,
If everyone was as passionate as you are, we would end hunger in America quickly! Homelessness and hunger often go hand in hand obviously but there are countless others who live in residences who are also hungry because of lack of money. They are just not as obvious. Individuals can help by donating food to the various agencies and even right in the grocery stores where they shop. Non-profit charities and churches can sponsor homeless families and governments can do much more to help. Thank heavens there are existing programs which at least help feed school children and even programs in some areas to assist children when they are not in school as well as adults. They are all worth supporting! Thanks for your comment.
It does indeed bother me that anyone in this richest nation on earth is hungry and not getting proper nutrition. Especially when our paid government workers are wanting for very little. There are some poorly paid government workers, in the supporting vocations of our public schools and the like, and those wages need to be raised. Some transportation workers, for example, often get less than $10 an hour. Their hours are often too few and they are laid off for several months a year with no unemployment. This is not the case in every school district, but it is in the one where I live, and I doubt the one where I live is the only one that treats their workers less than well.
No one should be without food or necessary medical care in this country. No one. True Christians should be embarrassed by the conditions in this country regarding the poor, and I believe true Christians ARE embarrassed by them. It is those few people who afix that label (Christian) to themselves in order to take advantage of it who bray (not a typo) to end public assistance for the poor. A label does not a Christian make.
There are more than 3.5 homeless people in this country at any given time. I have already written about who those people are and fewer than 20% are people who cannot function in society because of drug, alcohol, or mental issues. Not that it's OK by any means to write someone off because they have a mental disorder or that they should be left to starve and wander aimlessly.
In reality, addictions are mental disorders too. But for the grace of God, any one of us might suffer from an addiction or a mental disorder and they are the sort of thing that can develop in a person at any time in one's life. I studied this in psychology, my major, at the university.
Most private charities do not have the resources to provide stable dependable help to all who need it and that is why our government needs to manage such a huge undertaking. Government can also be useful in preventing discrimination where helping the needy is concerned.
Here where I live most food pantries only allow people to obtain food 2 or 3 times a year. A couple of bags filled to the brim with groceries won't get anyone through difficult times for long. By the same token, the soup kitchens I've visited do not provide much in the way of fruits and vegetables and often serve only one small so-called meal a day. To me, the omission of vegetables and fruits is not a complete meal.
Communities need to pull together to address poverty and put an end to it. Not only in providing food and medical services and housing, but jobs. There is no reason businesses in a community could not set aside a few of their jobs, maybe only 1 job in the case of a very small business, to be filled by a homeless person. Some homeless people down on their luck have college educations. It's really a shame that their education isn't being utilized by their community.
With a little effort from everyone -- especially people who like to call themselves Christians -- we could end homelessness. The first step in so doing is adjusting attitudes that homeless people are all junkies and alcoholics, crazies and lazies. That is just simply wrong.
Yes, it bothers me that a country where it seems to me the most vocal complainers about public assistance programs also like to say our country is based on Christian principles. So absorb some of those principles and be the Christian that you say you are dear readers, and prove you really are saved. The Bible says you will know them (God's chosen and saved saints) by their deeds. One doesn't do good deeds to be saved, but rather because one IS saved. Doing those good deeds proves God is indeed working through a person to do good.
The homeless communities everywhere are growing and more and more laws are being passed to make their lives even harder than they already are. Cities love to brag about bull dozing tent cities. Ya, that's so Christian I can hardly stand it.
Destroying and stealing the few possessions these people in tent cities have managed to obtain. Shame on anyone who would do such a thing or take pleasure in hearing about it. Shame on anyone who doesn't at least speak up and say how wrong it is to do such a terrible thing. Everyone should be on the phone complaining about it and picketing their city government for doing these totally UNChristian things. Not just once, but everyday until it stops. There is power in numbers. One person can make change, but a group of people can move a mountain.
The city of Fort Worth Texas brags that they destroy tent cities more than 100 times a year! I read about that in our local newspaper a few months ago. Now there's a Christian city that's so, so proud of adding more misery to the lives of the already suffering.
I will quit being bothered by the poverty situation in this country when it ceases to be. I hope everyone who has the luxury of sitting down to a nice meal will think about all the hundreds if not thousands of people in this richest country on earth who are not so lucky and who are in fact hungry at this very moment. I hope everyone who has the luxury of a nice comfy bed and a climate controlled bedroom will think about the 3.5 million people in this country, many children and elderly, who do not have a roof much less a bed or an air conditioner/furnace.
Again, prove you are a Christian and do the work God has given you. Help those less fortunate than yourself to get back on their feet if they are able to do so. Assist them in reclaiming their human dignity even if they are not able to help themselves. That is what Jesus said Christians should do many times over when He was amongst us. If you are not a Christian, then do these things because they are right no matter what your religious beliefs may be, and elevate yourself above the cacophony of heartless brayers.
Ms. Peggy, I know you have a kind heart, but not everyone does, and I am speaking especially to them.
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Hi Au fait,
I did not realize that people are drug tested before being eligible for food stamps prior to reading this and former comments of yours. If it is a 2 parent household, are both parents drug tested? It is a sad situation when any child goes to bed hungry due to poor parental decisions, skills, family hardships and the like. Of course I am not forgetting the adults who also sometimes have to choose between paying for food or paying other bills like medical expenses, etc. Food is one of the basic necessities. It is a shame that ANYONE EVER has to be without such a basic necessity in this country of ours or in the world at large.
With less than 2.5% of people testing positive for drugs due to being drug tested for food stamps, millions of money that could be spent on food is instead going for useless testing. Although I understand that some people actually sleep better at night knowing the children of a minority number of drug users are going to be hungry. Nothing like teaching good judgment to newborns and young children by starving them so they make better future decisions than when they picked their junkie parents.
One big reason children, veterans, active military families, and the elderly (over 62) are hungry is that our overpaid public servants whose base pay is 172,000 a year are continually cutting back on public assistance programs, in particular food stamps. Personally, I would like to see all congress people who vote to cut food stamps, Medicaid, social security or medicare, cut from Federal and state payrolls. Sharing this article. Also pinned to Aweseome HubPages.
We are experiencing a heatwave again up here. Mid 90s for 2 days now and more to come. Hope all is well there.
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Hi Au fait,
I can tell from your response that this topic of hungry as well as homeless people or those needing assistance for various reasons really bothers you. Sentiments are running high with upcoming elections and it looks like the tide is turning towards raising the minimum wage in many places. That will certainly help. To think that children (or anyone in this country...for that matter) goes to bed hungry is so sad. We have the means to do something about it if we put our minds to it!
Since I last read and commented on this I've learned that one need not have an address in order to get food stamps, but of course certain politicians are constantly cutting food stamp benefits along with other assistance programs, many of which affect our poorly paid veterans. That is a big part of the answer to your title question.
Countries in Europe do not handle public assistance the way we do here and they don't believe children should be made to go to bed hungry because their parents failed a drug test making them ineligible for food stamp assistance.
Here, people get very angry and protest loudly at the thought of anyone receiving food stamps, but especially anyone who has used an illegal drug. The people doing the shouting have of course never laid eyes on an illegal drug much less ever used one, and are generally perfect human beings in every way -- to hear them tell it. Yes, if a child has the poor judgment to be born to parents who use illegal drugs, then perhaps sending them to bed hungry will help them improve their judgment in other areas.
Food stamps recipients are mainly children, the elderly, and until recently our soldiers in uniform, as well as veterans. Veterans make up 26% of our homeless population -- shame on America for allowing our military people, active or veterans, to go hungry and homeless, and for listening to the mean spirited, hateful, heartless people, who advocate for starvation of the poor.
I know my words aren't very nice, but they're every bit as nice (if not more so) as the people I'm talking about. :)
No one complains about how UN-nice these heartless people are that are screaming for the end of public assistance programs. Why am I errant in my words, but it's OK to say ugly things about poor people and their children and to treat them badly and starve them? People who do that are okey-dokey and no one criticizes them.
I, on the other hand, am out of line. I much prefer to have a bad reputation for criticizing mean spirited, heartless people, than to have an admired reputation for starving people no matter who they are.
Sharing this article. There are getting to be more homeless people, not fewer. While there are more jobs they are primarily low pay jobs with few hours. They won't even support one person much less even half a family. Lots of homeless people have jobs, usually more than one, but it's not enough to pay a security deposit and the high rent. Have no idea why rent is so high given how many poor people we have. Lots of empty units and it doesn't add up.
Hope you are staying cool down there. We had 100 again today and it's to be at least 105 by the end of the week.
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Hi georgescifo,
You are correct in what you say. I was taught never to waste food. We do need to care for others and think of their needs as well as our own. The Golden Rule comes into play and it is a good one to keep in mind always.
This is an alarming fact and we always need to make sure that we do not waste food and also save something for the needy.
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Hello Li Galo,
Food costs are certainly different in various parts of our country. Buying things in season when they are generally less expensive helps. Growing your own food from seeds also helps even if it is in a few pots on a patio or balcony...or if one is fortunate enough to have a plot of ground. After my Dad died, we built a raised bed for my mother in her backyard. It was amazing the amount of food that she was able to grow in that approximate 4 foot by 8 foot space. Just last Fall we planted an orange and lemon tree in our backyard. Wish I had done that sooner.
Living costs are so high in California compared to where we live in Texas. Thus I know that the income you stated would not go very far in comparison to many other parts of the country. Thanks for your comment in helping to raise awareness of the many facets of this problem of starvation in America and elsewhere around the world.
Food ministry serves an important role in our society that I completely agree with and contribute towards. However, what of the cost of food to begin with? In our family, I earn about $50,000 a year, which seems like a decent income to the rest of the nation - except I don't live in the rest of the nation. I live in California - where $50,000 is at the poverty line. Of that income, of which I support three children, a quarter of that income goes to the cost of food. We are talking about $12,000 or more a year on food. We aren't talking convenience snacks, chips, cake, or soda. We're talking dry beans, rice, flour, milk, vegetables, fruit - just the basics.
The cost of food is completely out of control. Until solutions appear to solve this problem, the result is folks consistently asking for help at food pantries and applying for food stamp cards... or just starving.
Thank you for raising awareness, which fosters dialogue towards change and aids in understanding. Well written!
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Hello Little Grandmommy,
It is sad that hunger exists anywhere in the world and that it even needs to be a topic for discussion. Thanks for your comment. Hope that this raises more awareness of the problem.
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Hello jcevans2009,
Since you also worked in an assistance ministry, we both undoubtedly came away with the same type of feelings. So often the people needing help have a way of blessing us...those who are in a position to be able to direct them towards receiving that help. It makes one appreciate the smallest of things and realize that with just a twist of fate...the roles could easily have been reversed.
As to helping others, you are correct. We can all make a difference! Thanks for your votes and the sharing of this hub.
Well done! Thumbs up. This is a real problem here in the US as well as other countries. Thanks for addressing it here.
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Hi Margaret,
Your local food bank will certainly appreciate your donations. We have also heard that they can make what they give out to people stretch even further if they receive donations of money because their purchasing power is so much greater than an individuals. But however you do it...it will help more people keep from going to bed hungry at night. May God bless you and everyone who takes on this cause seriously. Thanks for your votes and the share.
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Hi Don,
Your points are very valid ones. I know that the Houston Food Bank makes people who come regularly for food take such classes. I learned that when my mother and I used to take loads of food donations to them and I knew someone who worked there. She had formerly been at the Assistance Ministry where my mother and I both volunteered our time. Classes on food preparation and how to make inexpensive but healthy meals for a family would help many people who have never learned such things at home.
Sometimes it is poor life choices that leads to people needing this kind of help. Little schooling; drug or alcohol addictions; spendthrift ways...but just as often, loss of a job that becomes extended, big bills due to medical emergencies and a host of other reasons can lead to the same result. Hunger in America exists and it is a shame. Kids through no fault of their own suffer and that is a tragedy! Thanks for your comment and the share.
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Hi Mary,
It is nice that your community helps with feeding the hungry. There are many places all across our land that do the same, and yet it is not enough. Usually there are limits as to how often people can come for food from any one source and so many people are falling through the cracks today due to being unemployed or other reasons. Food stamps can be a help but unless one gets emergency food stamps, it takes a while to start receiving them. And they were never intended to be the total food budget for the month, but merely an assist.
I do think that we could be helping our own people more than we do. Your thoughts on foreign aid echo my own. Thanks for your votes and the share.
I like the fact that your article reminds us that we have it in our power to make a difference. Like you, I worked in an assistance ministry and will never forget the grateful spirit among the people we helped. Voted up, awesome, sharing, tweeting, etc!
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Hi Dolores,
That is wonderful that Panera Bread offers the leftovers to food pantrys. If more businesses did that, and we individuals thought of donating something more often, we could collectively stamp out hunger. Thanks for your comment.
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Hello Author Cheryl,
It is great that you are aware of the need to feed the hungry, help the homeless and also aid in helping pets at shelters. There truly are people who do not realize just how many people in this country go to bed hungry. Thank you for doing your part and also for spreading the word by putting it on your Facebook page. If everyone pitched in just a little, we could wipe out hunger and move on to other needs of which there are many.
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Hi moonlake,
Was happy to add a link from your hub to this one. The more awareness that we can bring to this subject...the better! Some people truly do not realize that people DO go to bed hungry in America. If everyone did just a little extra, we could eradicate this problem. Kids in particular are so vulnerable. Thanks for your comment and especially the share.
Peggy - this is a compelling hub with so many excellent points, such as wasting corn for bio fuel and the facts concerning eating meat. I've been focusing on making donations to the local food bank, and think I'll try to increase the amount. You're right - putting aside a little a day for this cause wouldn't really even be felt. Voted up and useful - and sharing.
Hi Peggy, You have introduced many of the reasons why people may be hungry in this day and age. One thing I have observed during my own days of being out of work and sometimes having to make hard choices is that many poor people also lack the knowledge of how to get best value. I was surprised, I guess, to realize how young many single mothers are and lacking in any experience in handling money. It would be good if those helping the poor would include a Home Economist to teach such things as budgeting and food shopping.
sharing your hub
I always believe charity begins at home. The U.S. spends billions of dollars to other countries in aid, and yet our own people are hungry. It just doesn't make sense to me!
Our small community has lots of ways to help the hungry with dinners made by the churches. The hungry can at least get a decent meal. We have one organization where anyone can go in and request (and get) food, blankets and other provisions.
Wonderful Hub, I voted it up and will share.
I commented here before, about how much food is thrown away by supermarkets etc. Well a friend of mine who volunteers at a food pantry said that Panera Bread is very generous and often delivers huge loads of bread for the poor. And that's some darn good bread too.
It is very sad that any human should be hungry as well as be abused. I am sharing this on my facebook page because people are so caught up in their lives they don't realize the need. It repulses me that any child would have to go hungry in this land of the plenty. I always give to the homeless and my husband and I are starting to collect blankets for the local pet shelters. These needs far outweigh a trip to the movies and yes everyone can help.
Great hub. It is sad how many people go hungry. It is even worse for children in the summer when school is out. Voted up and shared. Thanks for the link will add your link.
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Hello georgescifo,
Yes...it is a sad state of affairs that anyone in the U.S. should have to go to bed at night feeling hunger pains, but it happens for all kinds of reasons. There are many agencies set up to help with this problem, but sometimes for people out of work or in areas without public transportation, even getting to those agencies, church pantries, etc., it can be a problem.
Sometimes elderly people on fixed incomes have to choose between eating or getting their prescriptions filled.
Current gasoline prices are rising which ends up making groceries more expensive in the stores. The majority of people live in cities instead of the country and do not have access to growing their own food. There are many reasons causing this and for those who are homeless, the problem can be even worse.
Fortunately many schools have budgets to feed children so if they are school age...at least they get some nutrition during the day. Thanks for your comment.
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Hi Au fait,
It is shameful that anybody has to go to bed hungry in the U.S. But it is a fact of life for many and so sad. There are many places in which to seek help with food if only the person has transportation to get there and the time to spare in which to seek the help. As to receiving food stamps...you are correct. There must be some sort of address. Thanks for the link to your good hub. So often food is discarded that does not have to be discarded. Appreciate your votes and the share.
Really amazed to hear that there is starvation from food in America...
Don't know if I remembered to share this hub so I came back to share it (or share it again as the case may be). ;) There just isn't enough time in the day . . .
An excellent hub. Many people in this country are hungry because one must have an address in order to get Food Stamps so far as I know. Many homeless people do not have an address, although most can use the location where their vehicle is parked or where there tent is set up. Yes, there are even children living in vehicles and tents in this country right now. There are approximately 1000 homeless children attending schools in the district where I work.
I placed a link to this hub in my hub, "Americans Throw Away 165 Million Dollars Worth of Good Food Every Year Because of Sell-by Dates." I noted that you have already put a link in this hub to my hub by the title above, and I thank you. I'm sure you told me when you did it, but I guess my head was somewhere else . . . (we won't go there) ;)
Voted this hub up, AU, and will share.
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Hello kims3003,
Glad that you liked this hub about food starvation and (hopefully) what can be done about it. Thanks for your comment. Appreciate it.
Well done hub! You hit the nail on the head with this one. Thanks for speaking out - nice work!
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Hi Patty,
I can't answer that last question if it means that six years of corn storage would feed the entire country? If so...that seems a bit crazy! If it is 6 years of corn storage for just that one state...not so crazy as it could be utilized elsewhere as needed in emergencies.
That is a terrible statistic...over 50% of everyone in Central Ohio needing government food assistance. Something is radically wrong with not only the economy...but how our government is (not) handing it. Our legislators need to put politics aside and do what is right for the country as a whole.
And to think that those of us in the U.S. are still better off than many in other countries of the world certainly gives one something to think about and hopefully generate the right kind of actions.
Thanks for your comment.
Three years ago, 34% of the kids and families in my county in Central Ohio recieved some sort of Public Assistance, at least food stamps. In 2011 over 50% of thst whole state receives help from the govt in purchasing food. And were a farming state with SIX YEARS of corn crops stored in silos. I have no idea what's up with that.
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Hi Billy,
Yes, more people are struggling now because of the economy and those of us lucky enough to be able to share should think of the hungry when we do our grocery shopping and always donate something to those red barrel collection spaces in the stores. A can of beans or a box of rice just might be what someone else needs to keep from being hungry! Thanks for your comment.
Sadly the situation may only get worst as food prices soar due to droughts and the weak USD
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Absolutely Tony! And I will do the same, linking your great hub about starvation to this one. Such a sad and unnecessary situation that hunger exists anywhere on this planet on a regular basis!
Peggy - hunger is so unnecessary and so sad. Thanks for this info about hunger in the "land of plenty" - seems it's a world-wide problem. May I link this to my Hub on starvation?
Love and peace
Tony
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Hi again Tracy,
You have amazing faith and thank heavens you found some compassionate doctors to help you. There was actually a book written some time back...something to the effect...Why do bad things happen to good people? You have shown your strength of character in what you relate through your writings.
Personal is fine here on hubpages and many people write about their personal journeys, trials, feelings, etc. So go ahead! Your experience might just help someone else along their life's path.
May God keep you in His care always.
thank you for the advice I have been going round and round trying to find a legal service to help with this but no luck so far..but at least every year they take our tax refund and now it's almost paid off..i think.from my calculations anyway..and it's true you never know what's down the road and sometimes it's hard to keep on the path but if you lose sight of God you will be lost forever...I gave it all to God because I had no more money no job couldn't work because I was so sick..by the time they figured out I had a brain tumor I was already dying..but when I finally realized that no doctor would take me without insurance or a full upfront payment I just prayed my self silly and about three days later I had an appt with an eye specialist who by the way charged me nothing and he told me i'm not sure but i can almost guarantee that you have a brain tumor..and all i asked God was will you please send me to a doctor who is kind and compassionate who will help me..and that got the ball rolling..it's quite amazing but my first surgery my out of pocket expense was twenty five dollars..amazing .I was thinking of writing a hub about my whole experience but have not they might tag it as to personal...but might do it any way..God bless you and keep on being the wonderful person you are :o)
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Hello Tracy711,
So very sorry to hear about your struggles and glad that you finally got a diagnosis that can generate a little much needed money coming your way by getting that disability check. It surely doesn't seem fair to me that because of an "administrative error" that you should have to be paying back the food stamp money that you received! Wow! I had no idea that could happen. If people lied and cheated to get the food stamps and it was discovered...that would make sense. But if the error is because of miscalculations on the government's fault, it seems to me that you should not have to bear the brunt of that mistake.
See if there is a volunteer lawyer's service in your area where you could get some free legal advice. They might be able to advise you to see if you have any recourse. Just doesn't seem fair!
Glad you liked this hub. Things happen in life that could knock almost anyone off of their comfortable circumstances where they suddenly need people's help. No one is immune...at least on this side of the grave.
Bless you!
Peggy W, hello what a wonderful hub..I have been on the hunger side myself...a few years ago I was very ill could not work and my fiance was taking care of both of us..not enough money for anything..fell behind on rent to buy food ..lost our apt..moved to another and asked for help and there were some great places that gave money and food but on a one time basis..finally they figured out what was wrong with me and now I get a disability check,however before this came to be we applied for food stamps they gave them to us we qualified and now we have to pay all that money back..they say we were not supposed to have qualified that it was an administrative error but they are making us pay it back..needless to say we are broke most of the time but God he helps us so much and we still find ways to help others too..so if there's a will there is definately a way..Gods blessings and thank you for the great hub :o)
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Hi billyaustindillon,
It is a terrible plight indeed that so many go hungry in our own state and country. Job losses are worse now than when I originally wrote this hub, so the statistics are probably higher. Awful...just plain awful! We certainly DO need some change! To allow starvation in this (at least it used to be) the "land of plenty" is sinful. We can and SHOULD do better!
It is shocking that in this day and age there are 22% in Texas starving and you know that number is likely higher up North. They bail out the banks, allow sick bonuses to Goldman and crew on that money and we could go on and then we have situations like this. Change indeed.
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Hi Dolores,
We all get distracted with daily life and I am guilty as well. When I was doing my voluntary counseling once a week, I was kept reminded of other people's daily struggles on a more regular basis.
It is truly sad the food that is wasted in so many places like supermarkets, restaurants, etc. Some of them do more than others to share the excess supply and they should be commended.
Let's all look at those red barrels in the grocery stores like we do red traffic lights. STOP! THINK! RESPOND APPROPRIATELY!
Thanks for your comment, Dolores.
Peggy you have pointed out a terrible problem. Often, we only think about poor folks who need food at Christmas, then forget about them for the rest of the year. And while food stamps are available to some, the working poor may not qualify. What irks me is how much food is thrown into the garbage at supermarkets. My son used to work in a seafood department. One minute, the fish were good enough to sell. Later, that same day, it went into the trash.
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Hello myownworld,
I agree with you...it is a start just getting people to realize that starvation exists in many places and we can all do our part to help alleviate it. Thank you for taking the time to comment.
very insightful...and brilliantly written! what I loved most was the passion with which u wrote this...one can really feel your sincerity in it. anyone suffering, whether in a developed country or a poor one, deserves our attention....so thank you for bringing this to notice. it's a start....
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Hi Karen,
It is a disgrace that we have so many people who go to bed hungry right here in the "good 'ole USA." We could help them and others if we put it high on the list as a priority. Thanks for reading and leaving your comment.
The U.S. continues to puff itself up by looking as though they are saving everyone else in the world. We need to take care of our own first.
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Hi again Misha, You know what they say about great minds... LOL
Thank you for visiting and commenting Peggy :) And yes, we are pretty much on the same page on a lot of things :)
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Hi Misha,
Just spent almost the entire morning reading your isms hub and left a comment. I agree that using taxpayer money to bail out failing corporations just does not make sense. Help the people who are hurt on a temporary basis...but not the corporations or the leaders at the top with bonuses for failing.
Military expenses......another category entirely. Although I personally was against entering Iraq, I now feel as though we cannot pull out precipitously leaving them in the lurch (so to speak) prior to them securing their own country against hostiles. Hopefully we will continue drawing our troop levels down safely for everyone concerned.
Afganistan......to my knowledge no one has ever come out of that country on the plus side. (Another Vietnam?)
We must have a military presence somewhere to protect us if ever needed. But the way new wars are being conducted (terrorist's striking civilian targets anywhere and everywhere) we need to rethink our old ways of defense.
Getting back to hunger.........there are definitely so many wasteful expenditures that could be turned towards more positive goals like changing the way people get enough food to eat. We certainly agree on that.
Thanks for coming back and commenting.
Idiotic projects? Sure, the latest and the greatest is the bailout of private corporations for taxpayer money. That money alone would feed the whole world, and if you add billions you spend daily on Iraq and Afghan wars and hundreds of military bases all over the world, everybody would be able to eat caviar for breakfast...
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Hi Misha, Ah.....I see that you are a dreamer of good outcomes. World peace would be wonderful. People unfortunately have been fighting in one battle or another since the beginning of time. If we (as world inhabitants) were faced with an invasion from outer space and alien beings.......maybe, just maybe we would pull together and quit killing one another on this planet. But then we would be fighting aliens. Still fighting!
Not sure what you meant by "idiotic global projects" but there is no doubt we waste money like crazy.....here in this country and elsewhere.
Wish there was an easy solution. We all simply need to do what we can and hopefully things will improve for the neediest on our planet who through no fault of their own do most of the suffering.
Thanks for your comments.
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Hi Birte, You bring up some good points. Education is the key to some of these things which are intermingled with various religious beliefs. So a tough battle there, I am afraid. Thanks for your comments.
Stop the wars, bring the troops home and disband the majority of them, stop idiotic global projects - and you have enough money to feed not only America, but the whole world - and you don't need to cut down on your own food :)
This is an issue I have thought a lot about. I hate to see the eyes of the starving child.
No doubt if we all cut back a little, more grains can feed these children. Each dollar donated will give a child a chance.
But what if there were not so many of us? In the last 100 years the world population has quadrupled to it's present 6.5 billion. I am sure that the world can sustain this, but a what quality.
I believe that in conjunction with feeding children already here, there should be much more eduction on sustainable family sizes, and sustainable agriculture. Some of the cultures who cannot feed their children hold cattle for sacred. As you say, cattle take a lot more vegetative feed for the same amount of food supply.
Instead of keeping all that cattle alive for sacred purposes, the same time could be invested in the growth of grains.
Keep raising our awareness on such important topics
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Hello Jewels,
I totally agree with you! Community gardens would be wonderful for everyone involved! More children would know where food originates. People would get exercise. Locally grown food would be fresher and better and food could be shared with those that needed it.
I have read books about the Great Depression and apparently almost everyone's backyard or balcony as well as town and city parks were turned over to growing gardens. Everyone pitched in and only took what they needed for personal use.
Hopefully we will see more of this! Thanks for reading and commenting.
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Hello cindyvine, With the tax on cigarettes continually rising, I am sure some smokers have been tempted to slow down or quit, but it is quite the addiction. I never smoked but I know how hard it was for my parents to quit.
As to this getting close to being like the Great Depression.......it is bad but we are not quite there yet. Of course for those that have lost their sources of income and may be losing their homes or are already homeless..........it IS the modern day Great Depression for them!
Thanks for commenting!
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Hi katyzzz, Thanks for commenting. The photo was taken from the middle of a climbing rose in our backyard. It is rather bright. LOL
Is great to address this hunger issue. There is a time window wide open at the moment where communities can change their lives here. As wayward as this may seem to others, I'd love to see community gardens come back where the focus is on feeding whoever is in need. So many elderly people are looking for things to do, make themselves feel worth again. The ability to grow your own and take it from the ground to the kitchen table is becoming a lost art. Community projects are something tangible and you see where money is going. With this not only are mouthes fed, but idle minds are settled and people feel worth.
Seems like this is getting as bad as the Great Depression, but I am sure that smokers will still have money for cigarettes
Thanks for reminding us of this very pressing and sad problem, Paggy, your little picture in red and gold stands out amongst the crowd.
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Hi Tom, Couldn't agree with you more. Thanks!
This was good....anyone giving food to the hungry is a better human being for it. Great hub...Thanks! :)
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Hi goldentoad,
Couldn't agree with you more. Let's all chip in a little and see if we cannot change things for the better. Thanks for your comment.
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Hello Teresa, It is hard to accept that this is happening to so many people in the U.S.A. When I grew up my parents always taught us not to waste food because "there were starving children in China." I have no idea if other parents used that same tactic, but the lesson of not being wasteful with food was learned.
Whether that many children in China were starving compared to other countries in the world is an unknown to me at this time. But from what I have learned from others is the fact that we need to take this situation of people going hungry and actually starving and dying from lack of food seriously.
Thanks for commenting and adding to the discussion.
Great read PW. A child going hungry is the worst, anywhere in the world.
Thank you: this is excellent, timely, and really valuable advice. You're so right -- I saw a commercial on Hulu.com that says 1 in 8 Americans needs help with food supply.
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Hello mkhovu, Thanks for reading and leaving your comment. This world could be so much better with just a little extra effort on the part of people who have much that they could easily share.
Very powerful and true PeggyW. When you have plenty, you never realise what the future can be like. Greed does play a huge role. The government does not play as a good role model to this effect either. People in power tend to abuse the resources and forget about the very people who elected them. Instead look after businesses more. The basic needs for human existance should be made cheap or free. The list can go on. There will always be people who take advantage of the whatever benefits they are given but people can be taught about the value of life.
Thanx for posting this hub. Dreams do come true. America, let's make one person's dream a reality and make this world a better place.
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Hi Pete, We all need to do more. Just hope this hub raises greater awareness. My mother who lives with us could just about be a vegetarian. She eats very little meat by choice. My husband and I need to cut back for the reasons you mentioned...health and helping others. Thanks for your comment.
Wow you got my attention. We have donated to the local food bank and we have picked up things at the grocery but not nearly enough. The point about meat eaters is well made. I will talk to my wife. We should cut down for our own health reasons and it would be nice to think that it helps others also. Great hub; thanks for the info.
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