COVID-19 Impacts on Childhood Hunger
Childhood hunger is a problem we just don’t talk about. Many think that the problem only exists in third world countries where poverty is high. It’s true that 1.2 billion people in developing countries live in extreme poverty, existing on less than $1.90 per day.
However, in the United States, 16.8% of children under 18 years of age live in poverty.
That’s a startling fact.
To put it into perspective, that’s 1 in 6 children living in poverty.
Since COVID-19, as families began to struggle with the impact of the virus, the percentage of food-insecure households was estimated to be between 22-38%.
In contrast, in 2016 only 12.3% of households were food insecure.
The sad reality is that in the US, many children go to bed hungry each night, what a heart-breaking situation.
Ending Childhood Hunger
This issue of poverty and childhood hunger can only be remedied when people get together and bring awareness to the situation and provide help to those in need.
As readers of this article, we can pledge to be more aware and proactive of the situation children face. Instead of sitting back, we could look to support initiatives and organizations which are looking support children in the local communities and around the world.
One such organization working to help stop childhood hunger is Feed the Children.
Feed the Children was started over 40 years ago in 1979 with the main goal of ending childhood hunger. The task of ensuring not a single child goes hungry is an enormous target, which the organization has been working towards for decades.
A non-profit organization, Feed the Children is sustained by donations and sponsorship funding, along with the help of its volunteers. The organization pledges to continue its work until there is not one single child in poverty.
To achieve its goals, the organization has several initiatives. Working with experts, leaders in the community, volunteers and sponsors, to initiate programs and outreach to help feed children not just in the US, but around the world.
When donations are made to the organization, the money is carefully spent to ensure it has maximum impact in helping children. With 91% of donations going directly to outreach services, the organization stands strong on integrity and core values of its mission.
Working with its partners, in 2020 despite COVID-19, Feed the Children distributed approximately 87.8 million pounds of food and essential items worldwide to benefit more than 7.3 million people globally.
The organization also reached 5.6 million children and families in the United States with distributions of shelf-stable food and essential household items valued at more than $329 million.
When people get together to provide services, education, funding, and food for those in need, it can have a great positive impact.
How You Can Help
Hopefully this article has brought awareness of the terrible situation many children face. If you’re now motivated to help stop childhood hunger, then you can get involved with Feed the Children and other similar organizations.
One of the easiest methods of support is to donate money. Donations help pay for food, supplies, and other related expenses needed to get food out to communities and children.
There is such a sense of reward when you can support a child in poverty and helping them not to go hungry. Let’s pledge to think about what we can do to support children in our communities.
