How Hunger-Free Communities Benefit Us All

Today is the last day of Hunger Action Month, a time to raise awareness about the prevalence and reality of hunger in America. I firmly believe that the way we think about hunger is the primary obstacle to solving it, so this month I have focused on challenging the assumptions we’ve been conditioned to accept, and offering new tools for taking those ideas out into the world.

In today’s political climate, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming that someone who doesn’t agree with you has completely different goals and interests. Election season is the prime time for the media and political campaigns to capitalize on fears that someone else’s interests diverge too far from our own to ever find compromise.

Despite the division that permeates much of the public sphere, the reality is that we have more goals in common than we have differences. We all want crime to drop, and to enjoy clean air and safe water. We want our neighborhood schools to be recognized for their excellence, and to find jobs that align with our values and appreciate our skills. We want a world where we can celebrate that hard work and dedication got us to where we are today, without a hint of unearned advantages. No matter which side of the political spectrum you land on, these are common aspirations for people all over the world.

We run into conflict when we decide that other people don’t have these shared goals. This “othering” helps us justify targeted or unfair treatment.

I regularly hear people worry about individuals using food pantries who don’t really need the food, a fear commonly used to justify harsh restrictions and limitations on access. I like to ask the worried person if they have ever used a food pantry when they didn’t need to, and they always recoil in offense. “Absolutely not!”

When asked what makes them different from someone regularly shopping at a food pantry, there’s no answer.

Our society is quick to sort people into winners vs. losers, with little consideration for how naïve and destructive this tendency really is. Our world is better when our neighbors are food secure, which means when we treat people experiencing hunger poorly, we have a negative impact upon our own lives.

Whatever we believe about what an individual has earned or deserves, a well-fed, healthy neighborhood is safer, more stable, and has a stronger community.

We all benefit from ensuring the people around us have the food they need to thrive, no matter what conditions lead to that security.

It is short-sighted to sacrifice our own well-being just because we believe others don’t deserve the help. Fighting hunger benefits everyone

Food secure communities experience less crime and violence.

Well-nourished students learn better and are less disruptive to their peers, which benefits the entire classroom.

Food insecurity and diet related diseases increase strain on our already not-awesome healthcare system, and the high costs push our neighbors into financial crises that taxpayers must help cover. Nourished families improve healthcare for everyone.

Food insecurity often precedes houselessness, so active efforts to fight hunger can reduce the number of people in our cities and communities who are unhoused.  

It’s ridiculous that we live in a world where too many people would rather deal with the negative implications of hunger rather than solve the problem, just so that someone doesn’t get help we don’t think they’ve earned.

As we wrap up Hunger Action Month and head into the height of election fever, I implore you to remind your communities that hunger hurts everyone, including ourselves, and that fighting and preventing hunger is one of the most effective ways we can enhance the quality, stability, and dignity of our own lives.

The opinions expressed here are solely my own and do not express the views or opinions of my employer.

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