Hunger in America

Hunger in America: the causes implications and need for justice ~ ARHY285 Duquesne University

[amandaamcook-blog]

Closing Remarks

Hunger in America is a current issue that is often overlooked in our society. Food insecurity, the inadequate access to proper nutrition, is the form hunger takes in America. Despite not having a strong movement in mainstream media, there is plenty of information available to help educate and raise awareness of the related problems of poverty and hunger. Visual media platforms are a great way to raise awareness through blogs, videos, documentaries, photo essays, articles, etc. I believe that through solidarity, education and charity we as a country can progress towards dignity and justice by battling poverty and the other aspects of America that contribute to the issue of hunger. I hope that through this blog an increase in availability of information on the topic of hunger in america can inspire action in others to fight the causes and results of poverty and hunger.

[amandaamcook-blog]

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKOiT1vY7v0

A Place at the Table is a documentary made in 2013 that addresses the current hunger problems in America. It is a well made film backed by neumerous celbrities and recieved a lot of attention and praise. It helps show how prevalent of anissue hunger is in America, and how we need to change the methods of addressing hunger. I really appreciated how the documentary addressed that availability of food production is not the issue in America, theissues lie in poverty and the institutions that cause people to lack the finances and resources for adequate food.

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source:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k1b8oV7DI6s

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Source: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/8/6/1817/htm

Hunger impacts various stages of life and aspects of health. This chart shows how hunger and undernutrition can affect the mind and body. physical development can be slowed, disease can arise, obesity can occur, etc. These physical impacts also affect mental faculties causing an overal negative impact on health and qulity for life of anyone that experiences or faces hunger.

[amandaamcook-blog]

“Almost as bad as the hunger itself is the stress that you’re going to be hungry,” said Vaughn, 22, now in his fifth year at GMU. “I spend more time thinking ‘How am I going to make some money so I can go eat?’ and I focus on that when I should be doing homework or studying for a test.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/more-college-students-battle-hunger-as-education-and-living-costs-rise/2014/04/09/60208db6-bb63-11e3-9a05-c739f29ccb08_story.html?utm_term=.6c0801287512

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Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/23/us/in-a-california-valley-healthy-food-everywhere-but-on-the-table.html?_r=0

Photographer: Jim Wilson, New York Times

Poverty, hunger, and obesity go hand in hand. For these migrant farmworkers in Salinas Valley, CA, working in fields of fresh produce does not mean they have the access to such nutritional food. Despite working inthe “salad bowl” these farmworkers rarely are able to buy fresh produce for themselves. Their low income and high costs of living prevent them from being able to afford nutritious food making them food insecure. As a result of their food insecurity they are more likelyto ourchase unhealthy food options because they tend to be cheaper and can be purchased in larger quanties; leading to an epidemic of obesity. Salinas Valley is just one window into a problem that is occuringacross the nation where poverty resultsin food insecurity, hunger and obesity.

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Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2016/03/07/Colleges-beginning-to-address-the-issue-of-hunger/stories/201603040052

Hunger among college students is often underrepresented and misunderstood. The stereotype of the starving student is a harsh reality for many students. Local pittsburgh school CCAC is taking action to adress hunger among college students. Many college students do not have a provider and often have to support themselves and family; spouses, children, older parents, etc. Pictured aboveis student Matt Armento at CCAC who lost his father to cancer and nowhasto provide for his mother, himslef all while trying to balance schoo land work. 

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photo: https://plexuss.com/news/article/Common-Struggles-of-College-Students-Today

“The poor college student is no longer just a young person building character. Hunger is not part of a bohemian hippie movement to say “up yours” to mom and dad. Hunger is not a punchline. The poor college student is actually a growing demographic and one of the most routinely overlooked. The chuckle-worthy trope of the Ramen-scarfing, life-hacking university student is in fact casting a light-hearted gloss over a very serious problem.”

quote: http://www.thebestschools.org/magazine/hungry-to-learn-food-insecurity-spreads-on-campus/

[amandaamcook-blog]

SNAP programs help those with low incomes purchase ~$125/monthon food. A variety of people use SNAP; single mothers and people, college students, post-grad students, families, the elderly, etc. Its not always the people you would expect who can benefit from these programs.

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Source: https://www2.calstate.edu/impact-of-the-csu/student-success/basic-needs-initiative

The California State University conducted a study on hunger and homelessness among students from 2015-2016. Their findings showed that 21% of students were food insecure. As a result CSU began a basic needs initiative that made resources for aid readily available. This included a website with listsof food banks and resources nearby, having on campus food banks, increasing exposure for donations, etc.

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The Number Of Hungry And Homeless Students Rises Along With College Costs

Research shows that many college students across the country are working, borrowing and still falling behind.

"Most people think, 'Well, if you're really poor, and you really don't have money to eat, you can get food stamps," she says. "What they don't know is that for a college student, who doesn't have children, to get food stamps requires that they work 20 hours a week." 

Aspiring students shouldn’t have to battle between working a minimum wage job to qualify for SNAP and pursuing a higher education and a more fulfilling future.

Source:http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2017/02/08/513902272/the-number-of-hungry-and-homeless-students-rises-along-with-college-costs

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Source: http://neatoday.org/2016/10/26/hunger-on-college-campuses/

Photograph taken by Mary Ellen Flannery

Hunger and food insecurity for college students is an issue in America. High prices of tutition, low wages, transportation costs, many hours spent on course work during the week etc contribute to difficulties students make in finding ways to feed themselves. The man pictured above volunteering at the campus food bank is an adjuct professor at Bunker Hill Community College in Boston and is also aregular patron at the food bank.

“Now, more than ever, a college degree is the surest ticket to the middle class,” said Obama at a speech in Tennessee. Students know this, too. That’s why they skip meals to pay for books, or cover the rent. In a desperate but hopeful calculus, they opt to starve the student they are now to invest in the nurse, or teacher, or accountant that they someday hope to be.” 

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Source:http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/111382/

Art by Rob Rogers for the 2012 Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Food deserts are a huge issue for the hungry in metropolitan areas. Its defined as an urban area where fresh food and produce is difficult to come by; because there are no grocery stores in the vacinity, only convenience storesamd fast food options. This promotes food insecurity, undernourishment and obesity; all shown in Rob Rogers cartoon.

[micdotcom]

After the Oscars parties, hundreds of homeless people dined on gourmet leftovers

The Oscars isn’t exactly the type of event where you’d think people care about wasting food.

Yet after stars dined on short ribs, taro root tacos, gold-dusted truffle popcorn and more, the untouched leftovers were whisked away and redistributed to hungry Los Angeles residents.

Thanks to actress Freida Pinto, no piece of lavish party food went to waste this year. 

The actress joined forces with Copia, a food recovery startup, to ensure the luxe leftovers from several of the Oscars weekend parties could be given to LA residents in need of food. Read more (3/2/17 11:26 AM)

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It’s about time we do something about wasted food!! This is beautiful.

[amandaamcook-blog]

Thank you Freida Pinto and the Academy, this is amazing!

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Source: http://hungerthroughmylens.org/

Photograph by Edith, from Roaring Fork Valley

“I don’t know how to cook with this.” 

Hunger Through My Lens is an advocacy project that is aiming to shed light on hunger in the Denver Metro area. Its work is comprised of the photographs that come from participates who are not photographers, but are ‘real people’ documenting the hunger and situations they endure. This photograph, and specifically its caption, really impacted me. Edith is showing some of the food donations she recieved from a food bank, canned goods like fruit, juices, beans, peas, tomatoe paste, etc... While this is ‘food’ it is not sufficient or nutritious enough to constitute a whole meal, and her caption makes that very clear. This is showing how while help does exist for the hungry, it is still inadequate to fully meet  humans needs.

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Source: https://www.mercycorps.org/articles/quick-facts-what-you-need-know-about-global-hunger

This diagram shows how hunger can, and needs to be addressed in avariety of ways. Hunger is the result of a complitation of scial structures that promote injustice. Therefore to address hunger we need to look at urgent need (charity), increasing access to food, improving health and access to health care and addresing poverty and future generations.

[amandaamcook-blog]

Source: http://blog.creative-capital.org/2014/02/otabenga-jones-associates-launch-peoples-plate-houston/

“The Peoples Plate”

Commissioned and designed by Otabenga Jones & Associates (2008 Visual Arts) 

Hunger in America presents itself differently than world hunger. World Hunger is marked by starvation while hunger in America is defined by food insecurity and improper nourishmetn. There are clear links between poverty and obesity as cheaper and convenient foods tend to be very unhealthy. Otabenga Jones & Associations “The Peoples Plate” is a collaboration between art programs and public health programs that are addressing poverty, obesity and health risks thatare accompanied by this. Just because hunger in America is not always portrayed through starvation does not mean people stilldo not struggle with access to proper nutrition.