America Gets Hungry Too

By: Christina Tun

For a person from a third world country such as Senegal or Angola, it would be hard to believe that America, being a  First World country, would have such an alarming poverty rate. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,  43.6 million people (14.3 percent) were in poverty in 2009. In 2010,  15.1 percent of all people were in poverty- that being the highest poverty rate since 1993. With poverty, nonetheless leads to hunger. There are many promoted organizations in America specializing in helping feed starving countries, but what about ours? Why is  it that we are able to feed other nations when some of the people right under us in our own homeland struggling to get a meal? 1 out of 6 Americans are silently suffering from hunger and more of us need to be aware.

 Many people would agree to the starving as being the homeless on the streets. Hunger is faced by folks all around us. It is such a big misconception that hungry people are the ones without jobs and are unwilling to work but rather feed off of others (etg, welfare.) It isn’t just the non-workers who are facing hunger, but the hard working class too. It is the single mother of three who can’t seem to make ends meet. It’s the man of the house that recently gotten laid off and doesn't no where else to go to support his family. It is the hungry child whose parents are never home or addicted to drugs. These stories aren't just things you hear about or see in the movies, but are real life struggles.

According to a survey on hunger and homelessness conducted by the United States Conference of Mayors, 88.5% of cities participating in the survey cited unemployment as one of three major causes of hunger in their city. With that being said, no work equals no funds to buy food.  Another major problem to hunger is medicare. High costs of medicare and little help  from insurance leaves lower class to have to choose between buying a meal or paying for their health. It's unfortunate for people who live in such a highly esteemed country to have to choose between the two.

So whom exactly suffers from hunger? Most may assume that people from urban areas do. That is true but not entirely, for suburban and rural areas suffer too. For example, in rural areas, affordable childcare and public transportation is hard to come. Unemployment rates are great and the jobs that there is to offer are those of minimum wage. The saddest part is that these folks have to turn to food banks at the same place food is distributed.

America may be a First World country and not have higher poverty rates as other places, but that percentage still counts. Poverty occurs everywhere, resulting in many hungry people. There is no reason for America to try and save face (as being a rich, giving country- or whatever their objective is) by trying to feed other nations when our people in the shadows behind those tall shiny buildings are silently starving.