Malnourished and Hungry...in America?

I have seen the empty look when hunger has taken over. Being born in the Philippines made me face these harsh realities -- of sitting next to another child waiting for a bus who can't hide his hunger as he looks at the small piece of bread in my hand. In the Philippines poverty abounds. The line is clear. Either you have it or you don’t.

takepart.com/place-at-the-table

But in America, the land of plenty and opportunities, it’s shocking to hear how children go to school hungry because there wasn't enough food to eat. Where I was born, programs or public policies to help put food in the table didn't exist. You often walked past many families in tattered clothes, sunken faces and hungry bellies. There were so many that I felt helpless to do anything. That’s why I have such a soft spot for documentaries that try to fix a problem, and that’s what makes living in America a blessing: to be able to express your opinion and share it with others in hopes of making a difference.

Check out this trailer: A Place at the Table. One Nation. Underfed. to see the underbelly of America’s hunger problem that touches on poverty and how America’s children are sadly undernourished due to poor food choices -- consciously or unconsciously -- being made today.  While I was too young to remember, the film mentioned that at one point public policy did work and almost ended the nation’s hunger through sheer will and everyone working together. I wonder now if this generation of people can do the same.

~Muriel