Service Learning Supplement #1

Hunger is an issue that cannot be ignored in the city of Spokane, state of Washington, and in the United States of America. Food insecurity is present in every state and every town. It affects people we know and should care about. I went to the talk on Hunger. It took place in the Foley teleconference center, which was to the left of the library. The talk was given by Linda Stone. Linda Stone has been a child advocate for a number of years. Group mentoring programs were required to attend this talk as a training tool.

During the talk, we were given many statistics. She showed us which counties in Washington were the most food insecure, which had the most amount of people who were hungry, and other statistics. We were also given a few phrases and definitions that we could apply to hunger. She told us there was a difference between hunger and food insecurity. Food insecurity is where one is unsure whether they will be able to put food on the table. Hunger is the actual state of starvation that the body undergoes. It is sad that most statistics are based on hunger, when the bigger issue is how many people cannot put enough food on the table. Another factor that is often left unconsidered are families that can feed their children, but cannot afford to feed themselves or their children in a healthy manner. A mother or father may be able to buy McDonald for their child, but it does not mean that their child is getting the nutrients they need. This unfortunate scenario deprives children of their necessary vitamins that they need to grow strong. It also deprives children of years of their life.

After the talk, Meredith talked to us about how the information on hunger related to our services. She reminded us that when a kid is cranky, to remember that it might be because (s)he might not have eaten dinner. When I heard this, i remembered how i had judged some of the kids for being bullies. I also considered that on other days, they acted nicer sometimes. It was shocking for me to realize that the issue of hunger could be prevalent in GAME.

In GAME specifically, there are kids who have mean attitudes for no reason. Meredith reminded us that the kids that might seem mean one day might be cranky because they haven't eaten. Spokane children are directly affected by hunger. The underprivileged and lower class children living in Spokane can't afford to go to Gonzaga prep, so they attend schools like Glover and Garfield. Spokane's school district is very poor. They have many programs designed for underprivileged children. These programs are designed because of the need for special attention that these kids deserve. 1/3 kids in Spokane drop out of high school. That shockingly large number cannot be attributed to teachers alone. That number is a direct result of other, cultural influences in chilren's lives, and other absence of influence. It is unfair that a child might go through a day without food, and it negatively affects their performance in daily life.