PUTTING A STORY WITH THE NUMBERS
There are approximately 17 million children living in food insecure households in the United States. In Washington State, 23 percent of children live in food insecure households. These children are our future, yet right now they’re lacking the vital nutrition that could change the course of their lives.
Most of us feel shocked when we read statistics like this. Far fewer of us actually do something in response. Sometimes it’s because statistics and numbers can feel impersonal even when it’s one we feel strongly about. Hearing the story of a real person struggling with hunger can push us past that place of inertia.
We'd like to introduce you to a real family struggling with hunger. The mom, Jennifer, is a single parent and an Army veteran who is struggling to make the paychecks from her full-time job stretch to cover the family’s most basic necessities. Jennifer has two daughters, Ashley who is 8, and Elizabeth, 5. After paying the rent, utilities, car insurance and childcare, Jennifer is lucky to have a few dollars left to cover everything else, including gas, clothes and food. Most of the time the refrigerator is empty. For dinner one evening, the three shared one bag of microwave popcorn - the last food item left in the house.
When asked if she ever feels hungry, Ashley responds, “I’m, like, hungry when it’s bedtime but I never ask cause I know we always need food for the next day. One thing I love is salad but we never have enough money for it.” When asked about whether her sister ever feels hungry Ashley says, “At school sometimes in the hall she’s dragging herself because she’s so hungry.”
There are millions of stories linked to the hunger statistics we see every day. It’s more than just a number. Throughout September we’ll be sharing stories of families like this one who live in our community and are struggling to put food on the table. We’ll also share simple steps you can take to help. It’s easy. There are “30 Days and 30 Ways” and we hope you’ll choose the one that works best for you and take action to help a mom like Jennifer, or little girls like Ashley and her sister Elizabeth.