1 in 5 children struggles with hunger, What are we doing about it?

What would you do if you had $4 for food everyday? Would you be able to make a choice between eating healthy or getting a good deal for your money. Around 58 million Americans, have to make these choices everyday and around 16 million children live in families who struggle to put a meal on the table. It is astonishing that a country that produces so much food has to deal with problems like this. Sixteen million children will fill over 845 basketball arenas!!! ( Statistics from: nokidhungry.org).  That is a lot of children !

What can we do to help the situation ?? A Place at the table outlines, what the hunger problem in America is, It focuses on 4 real people affected by hunger and possible solutions. Here is a trailer for you to watch. The movie is available on youtube, you can watch it and invite your friends to watch it with you too.

Nicole Gullota, has started a movement , "Food Bloggers against Hunger". As a policy student, I am glad to be doing something to spread awareness on this issue. I have been fortunate to always have access to healthy food. When my sister and me where in school, every weekend before visiting the temple, my family used to hand out food packets to the homeless. It was a ritual we followed religiously for many years. 

For the whole of next week, my challenge will be to cook dinner with pantry staples and using ingredients with a budget of only $4 for 2 people. Why $4, you might ask. Americans who are on the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) program have a budget of around $4/meal, allocated to them. SNAP enables low-income individuals and families purchase food so that they can have a nutritious diet. 

I am sure if we all work together, we can create positive changes in the communities in which we live. I am going to end with this very empowering Henry Ford quote that says "One of the greatest discoveries a person makes, one of their greatest surprises, is to find they can do what they were afraid they couldn't do."