Real People Real Stories: Hunger in America

After School Program Provides Support

Alex is a precocious little boy who attends an after school program offering snacks provided by the Northern Illinois Food Bank. He’s the first to admit he loves everything that has to do with Pokemon, and invests as much time playing the game as he does reading books about the character’s fantastical pursuits.

Pokemon never supersedes his English and Spanish homework, which are both taught by his favorite teacher. When Alex isn’t running circles around the agency’s teen volunteers, he can be found practicing Spanish phrases with Mariela, the grandmotherly matriarch of this site.

The time he gets to spend with his friends -- and eating his favorite food, bagels with cream cheese -- is why Alex looks forward to participating in the after school program.

Photo and Story courtesy of Feeding America, and may not be used without the consent of Feeding America.

Read Alex's Story

Feeding America Kids Cafe Program Helps Family of Four

Two to three times a week, Windy's two children receive food from the Essex Manor Community Center Kids Cafe in Reno, Nevada. The Food Bank of Northern Nevada, a member of Feeding America, supplies the Kids Cafe with food. Kids Cafe is the most expansive child-feeding initiative in the country with more than 1,600 locations.

Windy works between three and four hours a week as a caregiver at her church. Her husband receives social security disability benefits and works part-time as a courtesy clerk. They are expecting their third child in December. With a limited budget, she explains that "we struggle month to month."

After Windy's family pays all of their bills, they only have $100 left for food, or about $25 each week. In order to feed her family, Windy has relied on support from her mother and the rest of her extended family. She also says she has tried "to take advantage of the great programs that they have out in the community." For the past several years, the family has received weekly food assistance from their church. Windy describes the church's giving as a "great program for people to be able to go for food."

The Essex Manor Kids Cafe also reduces the burden on Windy's family. She estimates that the program saves her between $150 and $180 every month.

At the Kids Cafe, Windy knows her children will receive the nutritious food they need in order to grow. She also appreciates that they are in a supportive environment with staff and volunteers who "are always there to meet the kids and help them and talk to them and make them feel better about themselves." She feels that "what they are doing for the kids is so great."

Windy is truly grateful for the help she receives through the Kids Cafe program, saying, "Thank you for all that you do... continue to do the good work that you do." Windy hopes that the program will continue to reach more children in the future. She knows "that there's a lot of kids out there that need the help and they just don't know about it."

Read Windy's Story

Feeding America Agency Gives More Than Thanks in November

For the past two years, Paschun Carlisle and her four children have received free Thanksgiving meals from LifeBridge Community, an agency of Gleaners Food Bank in Indianapolis and a member of Feeding America. The meals have come at a time of need for Paschun and her family. She describes how her family has "been close" to experiencing hunger and recounts how "sometimes I would go without food so my children could eat."

Paschun moved to the south side of Indianapolis about three years ago. She relied heavily on government assistance, living on a cash benefit of $139 a month to support her children. During that time, Paschun worried about how she could ensure her children had enough food. Then she found a flyer on her door that would change her situation for the better.

The flyer invited people in need to a Thanksgiving dinner sponsored by LifeBridge Community.

"We really didn't have enough money for food, so we went," said Paschun.

The Thanksgiving dinner gave the family much-needed food and emotional support.

"You would have thought the LifeBridge staff was related to us," said Paschun. LifeBridge Community provided a complete Thanksgiving celebration with turkey, dressing, macaroni and cheese, green beans, mashed potatoes, cranberries, and pies. After the meal, enough food remained for everyone to take home a bag of leftovers.

"The food we received that night was amazing," said Paschun. "It made me realize that everything was going to be OK."

LifeBridge Community gave Paschun's family more than a meal. They gave the family hope for the future. Soon after participating in the Thanksgiving dinner, Paschun's four children took advantage of LifeBridge's relationship-based after-school and evening programs. The LifeBridge Community offers one after-school program and three evening programs, each tailored for a different age group. All of these programs provide a hearty meal to children in need.

Paschun's children really enjoy the LifeBridge Community programs.

"It's fun," said Leah, age 9. "We play games and sometimes we eat there. My favorite food to eat is macaroni and cheese."

Every Thursday, children are provided with snacks to take home. Paschun describes how these snacks are actually bags full of canned goods that can last the family for a week.

"This has really held us over from week to week," she said.

Paschun recently started a new job as a waitress and has since stopped receiving cash benefits.

Looking back at her difficult experiences, Paschun appreciates how "the staff at LifeBridge Community truly embraced us. They were a real blessing when things were going bad."

Read Paschun's Story

Kids Cafe Program Provides Nutritious Foods to Children in Need

About 10 years ago, Ulysses, a disabled veteran, became a single grandparent after receiving full custody of two young grandsons and a high-school-aged granddaughter. He saved them from unsafe living conditions, as both parents were unable to properly care for the children.

However, after Ulysses, now 76, was granted custody, he became concerned as to how he would be able to afford to take care of the grandchildren. He tried to get support from Social Services, but his attempt was unsuccessful. It seems that since he made too much money through his military pension to qualify for food stamps or any other program, they were unable to provide him with any financial support.

"I was worried about my grandsons getting fed," said Ulysses. "I knew I didn't have the money on my disability income to feed them."

Ulysses struggled to support his three grandchildren for three years before hearing about the Grandparent's Parenting Group after meeting Reverend Clifford Barnett at the Brighton Rock AME Zion Church, an agency of the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and a member of the Feeding America network.

"Reverend Barnett was a godsend," remarked Ulysses. "He helped get me into the grandparent parenting program and got the boys enrolled in the church's study buddy program."

Ulysses's grandsons take part in the study buddy program every day after school, which partners with the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia as a Kids Cafe site, a national child-feeding program of Feeding America. Ulysses says the program provides the boys a chance to mingle with other kids, receive help with their homework, and enjoy a good dinner.

Since Ulysses's grandsons have been attending the Kids Cafe program, he hasn't had to worry about where their next healthy meal will come from.

"I'm a diabetic, so I have to make myself a special diet and I didn't think it was good for growing boys to eat the same as me," said Ulysses. "Now I am assured they're going to get healthy food and balanced meals."

Read Ulysses's Story

Gifts and Food Brighten Holiday Season for Struggling Family

Two years ago, Gloria's life took a turn for the worse. Her husband died of cancer and not too long after, her mother died. At age 45, she found herself a single mother struggling to provide for her eight children and two nephews—a total of 10 children, all under the age of 16.

"My mom was taking care of the kids while I was working, but when she passed away, I was forced to leave my job to take care of my kids," said Gloria.

Unable to work, Gloria relies on social security, public assistance, and food stamps to get by. After all of the bills are paid, Gloria has about $20 left in her purse each month to spend on food and other essentials, such as school supplies for her children.

"Thank goodness for food stamps," said Gloria. "But they don't last me very long."

Holidays are a difficult time for Gloria's family. It's hard to explain to your kids that you can't work and that Christmas will be tight, explained Gloria.

Thankfully, for the past two Christmas seasons, Gloria and her children still have enjoyed a traditional holiday meal and presents—all because of Boxes of Love, a program of the The Buffalo Dream Center, an agency of The Food Bank of Western New York and a member of the Feeding America network.

Through the Boxes of Love program, three days before Christmas, Gloria and her 10 children receive a surprise visit from Pastor Eric Johns, founder of the Buffalo Dream Center, bearing four boxes full of food, clothes, and toys. The boxes of food include turkey and canned goods—everything needed to make a holiday meal.

"Being on a fixed income, it really makes a difference," said Gloria. "The first time we received these gifts, the kids were in awe and couldn't believe it."

Boxes of Love began in 1998 with one church providing Christmas dinner and toys to five families. Over the years, Boxes of Love has grown and now assists approximately 2,000 families every year.

"If we didn't have this [Boxes of Love], I guess I would have had to pull something together [for a holiday meal]—probably sandwiches and soup," said Gloria.

Read Gloria's Story

Kids Cafe Comes Up Big

Seventeen million American children worry about when and how they will get their next meal.

Four of them live under Joy's roof.

Joy is a single mother living in Chesapeake, Virginia. When she and her husband separated 18 months ago, providing just the basics went from difficult to nearly impossible.

"I work seven days a week and sometimes I work days and nights," Joy says. "It's very hard. Once all the bills are paid, there's not too much left."

But because of the generosity of Feeding America supporters, securing consistent, healthy meals for her four children is no longer one of her worries.

After school each day, Joy's children make their way to the Boys & Girls Club just a few blocks away. There they do their homework, play sports, and, most importantly, are served a nutritious dinner—through the Kids Cafe program at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, a member of the Feeding America network.

"The [program] helps me out a lot," Joy says. "The food is always good [for the children] and they love being here. They never want to leave."

Feeding America Kids Cafe is the most expansive child-feeding program in the United States, with more than 1,600 sites around the country. Kids Cafe programs provide free meals and snacks to low-income children through a variety of existing community locations such as Boys & Girls Clubs, churches, and public schools.

And now as summer approaches—and Joy's children won't be in school during the day—she'll rely on the Kids Cafe program even more. For the first time, her children, DaQuon, Desja, Desjanna, and D'Andre, will participate in the summer program at the Club, where they'll learn valuable academic and life skills and eat three healthy meals every day.

"I don't know what else I would do if it wasn't for the Kids Cafe," Joy says. "Thank you."

Read Joy's Story

Feeding America Helps Family of Five on Its Way to Solving Childhood Hunger

After moving from Iowa to northern Illinois, Oliver and Juliette started to receive food assistance from People's Resource Center, an agency of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, a member of Feeding America.

Oliver works as a door-to-door salesman, while Juliette stays at home to care for their three children: Caleb, Jamal, and Madison. Since their move, they have had difficulty making their mortgage payments. Each week, Juliette and Oliver take at least $75 out of Oliver's paycheck for food and use the remainder to attempt to "cope with the bills." Juliette explains how the realization that her family does not have enough to meet their expenses is a "tremendous burden." Oliver feels the pressure at work, finding that "it's hard to get ahead when you're just trying to get by."

Juliette worries about providing enough food for her family. Having grown up in a family receiving food stamps, she strives to ensure that her children do not have to experience the same hunger she did. She called various churches in her community until she learned about the People's Resource Center. "I was really surprised how easy it was to find help," Juliette says.

The center has provided her family with fresh vegetables, frozen meat, bread, canned foods, instant lunches, and a variety of other food products. Juliette describes the organization as a "big help." She feels especially grateful for the cereal and juice that provide her children with food for the most important meal of the day.

"I'm hungry all the time," said Caleb, age 5. "I get mad if people don't feed me."

Juliette found herself "surprised" and "shocked" that "so many families are out there in need of food—and that it is a common problem." She urges individuals and families experiencing hunger to seek out sources of food and support. And she reminds everyone that "something must be done" to end hunger. Feeding America agrees and will continue to work until it has achieved its vision (and Juliette's vision) of a hunger-free America.

"Thank you," said Juliette. "You are a lifesaver to me, my husband, and my children."

Read Oliver and Juliette's Story