A quest to end hunger

By Mark Quandt

March 21 is “Hunger Awareness Day.” Hunger awareness is a daily concern to hundreds of thousands of people, nearly half of them under 18.

Here are some everyday choices of the hungry.

Do I pay the heating bill or feed my children? Where will my family’s next meal come from? Why are my parents sending me to bed hungry again tonight?

Hunger is a growing problem.

A study last year by the Hunger Action Network of New York State (HANNYS) found that food pantries statewide averaged a 37-percent increase in visits from 1995 to 1999. The biggest increase has been among the working poor—people with jobs who cannot make ends meet and need help to feed their families.

There are many contributing factors.

Hunger reaches across a wide cross-section of our community. Many other families live one bad break—one illness, one broken-down car, one accident—away from the growing ranks of people who cannot afford to eat.

According to a 2001 hunger survey by the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, which serves 23 counties in eastern New York, 46.5 percent of those served by the agency are children, 49.4 percent of the households have at least one working adult and only 0.6 percent of those served are homeless.

The agencies that provide this vital assistance cannot do this work alone, and 2002 has presented new challenges and opportunities for food banks and human service organizations. The September 11 tragedies put a tremendous strain on the country’s already overburdened public assistance system, and the sluggish economy has brought rising unemployment and related concerns.

On Hunger Awareness Day, consider giving up the luxury of dining out for just one night. Donate that money to your local food bank to help unfortunate parents feed their hungry children. Imagine for one day, or just one moment, what it would be like to be those parents. What it would be like if those were your children going hungry?

Don’t leave the work to someone else. The fight to end hunger begins with just one person—you.

[Mark Quandt is the executive director of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York.]