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Inquiry Questions:

- How can students and families overcome homelessness, poverty, and hunger?

- What are some valuable traits people facing these issues can exhibit?

- How can we show empathy towards these students facing these issues?

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Inquiry Questions:

- What does it mean to be homeless?

- What is hunger? - What is poverty?

- What causes these issues in students and their families?

- Why should we care? How do these issues impact us?

- Why are these issues our responsibility?

- What actions can we take to advocate for this problem?

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When Zettie and her mother moved from Jamaica to the United States, they had to live in their car. Despite their difficult situation, Zettie's mother's strength and love made it bearable. This story is about perseverance and staying positive in challenging circumstances.

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A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

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A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams

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This beautifully illustrated book is a heartwarming and inspiring story about the power of community and helping each other in difficult times.

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Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan

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Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan

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A young boy afraid of homeless people gains a new perspective when he assists his uncle at the soup kitchen.

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Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen (Read by The Giving Tree)

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Like everyone else, Jeremy desires a pair of shoes, but his grandmother insists he learn to distinguish between his needs and wants.

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Magical Little Minds - Read Along Storytime

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👟 Those Shoes 📚 Kids Book Read Aloud Story

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This book is a heartwarming tale of friendship and a poignant story of unmet needs. Upon learning about Sofia’s determination to assist her friend, children will be encouraged to delve deeper into local hunger issues and take action.

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Maddi's Fridge - Read Aloud Kids Book - A Bedtime Story with Dessi!

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Kids learned that 1 in 5 children in the U.S. faces hunger, and were then encouraged to share ideas on fighting child hunger together. Their ideas were intelligent, creative, and sincere.

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[ Video 2] Parents and Kids talk about homelessness

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[ Video 2] Parents and Kids talk about homelessness

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"Parents and students share their experiences of being homeless."

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Parents and Kids Talk About Homelessness

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[Supportive Text 1] National Geographic Magazine: The New Face of Hunger

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[Supportive Text 1] National Geographic Magazine: The New Face of Hunger

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Millions of working Americans don’t know where their next meal comes from. Three photographers explore hunger in three different parts of the United States, each depicting different faces of the same statistic: One-sixth of Americans don’t have enough food to eat.

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Millions of working Americans don't know where their next meal is coming from. We sent three photographers to explore hunger in three very different parts of the United States, each giving different faces to the same statistic: One-sixth of Americans don't have enough food to eat.

Osage, Iowa

Hunger in
the Land of Cars

Houston, Texas

Hunger in
the City of Plenty

Bronx, New York

On a gold-gray morning in Mitchell County, Iowa, Christina Dreier sends her son, Keagan, to school without breakfast. He is three years old, barrel-chested, and stubborn, and usually refuses to eat the free meal he qualifies for at preschool. Faced with a dwindling pantry, Dreier has decided to try some tough love: If she sends Keagan to school hungry, maybe he'll eat the free breakfast, which will leave more food at home for lunch.

Dreier knows her gambit might backfire, and it does. Keagan ignores the school breakfast on offer and is so hungry by lunchtime that Dreier picks through the dregs of her freezer in hopes of filling him and his little sister up. She shakes the last seven chicken nuggets onto a battered baking sheet, adds the remnants of a bag of Tater Tots and a couple of hot dogs from the fridge, and slides it all into the oven. She's gone through most of the food she got last week from a local food pantry; her own lunch will be the bits of potato left on the kids' plates. "I eat lunch if there's enough," she says. "But the kids are the most important. They have to eat first."

The fear of being unable to feed her children hangs over Dreier's days. She and her husband, Jim, pit one bill against the next-the phone against the rent against the heat against the gas-trying always to set aside money to make up for what they can't get from the food pantry or with their food stamps, issued by the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Congressional cuts to SNAP last fall of five billion dollars pared her benefits from $205 to $172 a month.

On this particular afternoon Dreier is worried about the family van, which is on the brink of repossession. She and Jim need to open a new bank account so they can make automatic payments instead of scrambling to pay in cash. But that will happen only if Jim finishes work early. It's peak harvest time, and he often works until eight at night, applying pesticides on commercial farms for $14 an hour. Running the errand would mean forgoing overtime pay that could go for groceries.

It's the same every month, Dreier says. Bills go unpaid because, when push comes to shove, food wins out. "We have to eat, you know," she says, only the slightest hint of resignation in her voice. "We can't starve."

Chances are good that if you picture what hunger looks like, you don't summon an image of someone like Christina Dreier: white, married, clothed, and housed, even a bit overweight. The image of hunger in America today differs markedly from Depression-era images of the gaunt-faced unemployed scavenging for food on urban streets. "This is not your grandmother's hunger," says Janet Poppendieck, a sociologist at the City University of New York. "Today more working people and their families are hungry because wages have declined."

In the United States more than half of hungry households are white, and two-thirds of those with children have at least one working adult-typically in a full-time job. With this new image comes a new lexicon: In 2006 the U.S. government replaced "hunger" with the term "food insecure" to describe any household where, sometime during the previous year, people didn't have enough food to eat. By whatever name, the number of people going hungry has grown dramatically in the U.S., increasing to 48 million by 2012-a fivefold jump since the late 1960s, including an increase of 57 percent since the late 1990s. Privately run programs like food pantries and soup kitchens have mushroomed too. In 1980 there were a few hundred emergency food programs across the country; today there are 50,000. Finding food has become a central worry for millions of Americans. One in six reports running out of food at least once a year. In many European countries, by contrast, the number is closer to one in 20.

To witness hunger in America today is to enter a twilight zone where refrigerators are so frequently bare of all but mustard and ketchup that it provokes no remark, inspires no embarrassment. Here dinners are cooked using macaroni-and-cheese mixes and other processed ingredients from food pantries, and fresh fruits and vegetables are eaten only in the first days after the SNAP payment arrives. Here you'll meet hungry farmhands and retired schoolteachers, hungry families who are in the U.S. without papers and hungry families whose histories stretch back to the Mayflower. Here pocketing food from work and skipping meals to make food stretch are so common that such practices barely register as a way of coping with hunger and are simply a way of life.

It can be tempting to ask families receiving food assistance, If you're really hungry, then how can you be-as many of them are-overweight? The answer is "this paradox that hunger and obesity are two sides of the same coin," says Melissa Boteach, vice president of the Poverty and Prosperity Program of the Center for American Progress, "people making trade-offs between food that's filling but not nutritious and may actually contribute to obesity." For many of the hungry in America, the extra pounds that result from a poor diet are collateral damage-an unintended side effect of hunger itself.

As the face of hunger has changed, so has its address. The town of Spring, Texas, is where ranchland meets Houston's sprawl, a suburb of curving streets and shade trees and privacy fences. The suburbs are the home of the American dream, but they are also a place where poverty is on the rise. As urban housing has gotten more expensive, the working poor have been pushed out. Today hunger in the suburbs is growing faster than in cities, having more than doubled since 2007.

Yet in the suburbs America's hungry don't look the part either. They drive cars, which are a necessity, not a luxury, here. Cheap clothes and toys can be found at yard sales and thrift shops, making a middle-class appearance affordable. Consumer electronics can be bought on installment plans, so the hungry rarely lack phones or televisions. Of all the suburbs in the country, northwest Houston is one of the best places to see how people live on what might be called a minimum-wage diet: It has one of the highest percentages of households receiving SNAP assistance where at least one family member holds down a job. The Jefferson sisters, Meme and Kai, live here in a four-bedroom, two-car-garage, two-bath home with Kai's boyfriend, Frank, and an extended family that includes their invalid mother, their five sons, a daughter-in-law, and five grandchildren. The house has a rickety desktop computer in the living room and a television in most rooms, but only two actual beds; nearly everyone sleeps on mattresses or piles of blankets spread out on the floor.

Though all three adults work full-time, their income is not enough to keep the family consistently fed without assistance. The root problem is the lack of jobs that pay wages a family can live on, so food assistance has become the government's-and society's-way to supplement low wages. The Jeffersons receive $125 in food stamps each month, and a charity brings in meals for their bedridden matriarch.

Like most of the new American hungry, the Jeffersons face not a total absence of food but the gnawing fear that the next meal can't be counted on. When Meme shows me the family's food supply, the refrigerator holds takeout boxes and beverages but little fresh food. Two cupboards are stocked with a smattering of canned beans and sauces. A pair of freezers in the garage each contain a single layer of food, enough to fill bellies for just a few days. Meme says she took the children aside a few months earlier to tell them they were eating too much and wasting food besides. "I told them if they keep wasting, we have to go live on the corner, beg for money, or something."

Stranded in a Food Desert

Jacqueline Christian is another Houston mother who has a full-time job, drives a comfortable sedan, and wears flattering clothes. Her older son, 15-year-old Ja'Zarrian, sports bright orange Air Jordans. There's little clue to the family's hardship until you learn that their clothes come mostly from discount stores, that Ja'Zarrian mowed lawns for a summer to get the sneakers, that they're living in a homeless shelter, and that despite receiving $325 in monthly food stamps, Christian worries about not having enough food "about half of the year."

Christian works as a home health aide, earning $7.75 an hour at a job that requires her to crisscross Houston's sprawl to see her clients. Her schedule, as much as her wages, influences what she eats. To save time she often relies on premade food from grocery stores. "You can't go all the way home and cook," she says.

On a day that includes running a dozen errands and charming her payday loan officer into giving her an extra day, Christian picks up Ja'Zarrian and her seven-year-old, Jerimiah, after school. As the sun drops in the sky, Jerimiah begins complaining that he's hungry. The neon glow of a Hartz Chicken Buffet appears up the road, and he starts in: Can't we just get some gizzards, please?

Christian pulls into the drive-through and orders a combo of fried gizzards and okra for $8.11. It takes three declined credit cards and an emergency loan from her mother, who lives nearby, before she can pay for it. When the food finally arrives, filling the car with the smell of hot grease, there's a collective sense of relief. On the drive back to the shelter the boys eat until the gizzards are gone, and then drift off to sleep.

Christian says she knows she can't afford to eat out and that fast food isn't a healthy meal. But she'd felt too stressed-by time, by Jerimiah's insistence, by how little money she has-not to give in. "Maybe I can't justify that to someone who wasn't here to see, you know?" she says. "But I couldn't let them down and not get the food."

Of course it is possible to eat well cheaply in America, but it takes resources and know-how that many low-income Americans don't have. Kyera Reams of Osage, Iowa, puts an incredible amount of energy into feeding her family of six a healthy diet, with the help of staples from food banks and $650 in monthly SNAP benefits. A stay-at-home mom with a high school education, Reams has taught herself how to can fresh produce and forage for wild ginger and cranberries. When she learned that SNAP benefits could be used to buy vegetable plants, she dug two gardens in her yard. She has learned about wild mushrooms so she can safely pick ones that aren't poisonous and has lobbied the local library to stock field guides to edible wild plants.

"We wouldn't eat healthy at all if we lived off the food-bank food," Reams says. Many foods commonly donated to-or bought by-food pantries are high in salt, sugar, and fat. She estimates her family could live for three months on the nutritious foods she's saved up. The Reamses have food security, in other words, because Kyera makes procuring food her full-time job, along with caring for her husband, whose disability payments provide their only income.

But most of the working poor don't have the time or know-how required to eat well on little. Often working multiple jobs and night shifts, they tend to eat on the run. Healthful food can be hard to find in so-called food deserts-communities with few or no full-service groceries. Jackie Christian didn't resort to feeding her sons fried gizzards because it was affordable but because it was easy. Given the dramatic increase in cheap fast foods and processed foods, when the hungry have money to eat, they often go for what's convenient, just as better-off families do.

It's a cruel irony that people in rural Iowa can be malnourished amid forests of cornstalks running to the horizon. Iowa dirt is some of the richest in the nation, even bringing out the poet in agronomists, who describe it as "black gold." In 2007 Iowa's fields produced roughly one-sixth of all corn and soybeans grown in the U.S., churning out billions of bushels.

These are the very crops that end up on Christina Dreier's kitchen table in the form of hot dogs made of corn-raised beef, Mountain Dew sweetened with corn syrup, and chicken nuggets fried in soybean oil. They're also the foods that the U.S. government supports the most. In 2012 it spent roughly $11 billion to subsidize and insure commodity crops like corn and soy, with Iowa among the states receiving the highest subsidies. The government spends much less to bolster the production of the fruits and vegetables its own nutrition guidelines say should make up half the food on our plates. In 2011 it spent only $1.6 billion to subsidize and insure "specialty crops"-the bureaucratic term for fruits and vegetables.

Those priorities are reflected at the grocery store, where the price of fresh food has risen steadily while the cost of sugary treats like soda has dropped. Since the early 1980s the real cost of fruits and vegetables has increased by 24 percent. Meanwhile the cost of nonalcoholic beverages-primarily sodas, most sweetened with corn syrup-has dropped by 27 percent.

"We've created a system that's geared toward keeping overall food prices low but does little to support healthy, high-quality food," says global food expert Raj Patel. "The problem can't be fixed by merely telling people to eat their fruits and vegetables, because at heart this is a problem about wages, about poverty."

When Christina Dreier's cupboards start to get bare, she tries to persuade her kids to skip snack time. "But sometimes they eat saltine crackers, because we get that from the food bank," she said, sighing. "It ain't healthy for them, but I'm not going to tell them they can't eat if they're hungry."

The Dreiers have not given up on trying to eat well. Like the Reamses, they've sown patches of vegetables and a stretch of sweet corn in the large green yard carved out of the cornfields behind their house. But when the garden is done for the year, Christina fights a battle every time she goes to the supermarket or the food bank. In both places healthy foods are nearly out of reach. When the food stamps come in, she splurges on her monthly supply of produce, including a bag of organic grapes and a bag of apples. "They love fruit," she says with obvious pride. But most of her food dollars go to the meat, eggs, and milk that the food bank doesn't provide; with noodles and sauce from the food pantry, a spaghetti dinner costs her only the $3.88 required to buy hamburger for the sauce.

What she has, Christina says, is a kitchen with nearly enough food most of the time. It's just those dicey moments, after a new bill arrives or she needs gas to drive the kids to town, that make it hard. "We're not starved around here," she says one morning as she mixes up powdered milk for her daughter. "But some days, we do go a little hungry."

Crops Taxpayers Support With Subsidies

How Subsidized Crops Affect Diet

Tracie McMillan is the author of The American Way of Eating and a Senior Fellow at the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis University. Photographers Kitra Cahana, Stephanie Sinclair, and Amy Toensing are known for their intimate, sensitive portraits of people.

The magazine thanks The Rockefeller Foundation and members of the National Geographic Society for their generous support of this series of articles.

Maps and graphics by Virginia W. Mason and Jason Treat, NGM Staff. Help for the Hungry, sources: USDA; Food Research and Action Center; Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Stranded in a Food Desert, sources: USDA; City of Houston; U.S. Census Bureau. Crop Subsidies, research: Amanda Hobbs. Sources: Mississippi Department of Human Services; Environmental Working Group; National Cancer Institute.

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Why are people malnourished in the richest country on Earth?

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[Supportive Texts]PBIS  Poor Kids (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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[Supportive Texts]PBIS  Poor Kids (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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This 2017 documentary delves into the concept of poverty for children in America, presenting the experiences of three different families.

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Poor Kids (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

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1. Students will create a graphic organizer in response to the story "A Chair for My Mother."

2. They will also discuss ways to help each other in their communities and devise plans of action to address homelessness, poverty, and hunger.

3. Finally, students will present their plan of action to the class.

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Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

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Dolly Parton Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton

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When young Dolly Parton needed a new winter coat, her mother used a box of colorful rags to make it. The other kids teased her, but Dolly held her head high and told them about the love and stories that her mother wove into each stitch, making her coat valuable.

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CJ boards a bus with his grandma on a Sunday afternoon and heads to the local soup kitchen. At first, CJ is dismayed that they have to take the bus. He wonders why they can't use a car instead. Then he asks Grandma why he can't have electronics like the big boys he sees on the bus. With every new complaint, CJ’s grandma shows him how to find beauty in unexpected places, even on a lurching bus ride, noticing a blind passenger, the musician sitting next to them, and the less affluent parts of town.

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Magical Little Minds - Read Along Storytime

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Kids Book Read Aloud Story 📚Last Stop on Market Street 🥖🧺 by Matt de la Peña

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We quickly get food and unintentionally waste it. Let's habitually give leftovers to the hungry every night before sleeping.

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A young widow and her eight children discover a run-down shack in the woods and seek refuge during the warm summer months. We witness the family's journey through the changing seasons as they diligently use the mother's earnings from her chores, cultivate a garden, preserve fruits in the fall, and prepare for winter while crafting a patchwork quilt. As spring approaches, they exchange their homemade jam and bread for eggs and milk from a nearby farmer, finding joy in the simple beauty of wildflowers and the melody of singing birds.

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[ Supportive Text] Childhood Poverty in the United States Article

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[ Supportive Text] Childhood Poverty in the United States Article

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This article discusses how a child becomes poor, the main causes of poverty, how it impacts children, and how to fight childhood poverty in our communities.

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Childhood poverty is a tragic problem affecting millions of children in America. According to US Census Bureau data, over 9 million kids in the United States live below the federal poverty line. That means that these children are growing up without access to basic necessities like food, shelter, and healthcare.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on the US economy, and children have been among the hardest hit. The child poverty rate more than doubled from 5.2% in 2021 to 12.4% in 2022, according to the US Census Bureau.

There are a number of factors that have contributed to this increase. One is the loss of jobs and income. Many parents lost their jobs or had their hours cut during the pandemic, making it difficult to make ends meet. Another factor is the rising cost of living. Food, housing, and other essential expenses have all gone up in recent months, putting a strain on family budgets.

The child poverty rate is also higher for certain racial and ethnic groups. In 2022, the child poverty rate was 25.9% for American Indian children, 19.5% for Hispanic children, 17.8% for Black children, 11.2% for White children, and 9.9% for Asian children.
There are also disparities in child poverty by state. Children in southern states are more likely to live in poverty than children in other parts of the country. In 2022, the highest child poverty rates were found in:

New Mexico - 18.2%

Mississippi - 17.8%

Louisiana - 16.9%

Kentucky - 15.8%

Compared to states, Washington, DC was the ninth lowest, with a child poverty rate of 14.7%.
The COVID-19 pandemic and record inflation have exacerbated these disparities. The child tax credit, which was introduced in 2021, helped to reduce child poverty significantly. However, the tax credit expired at the end of 2021, and child poverty rates have since increased.

The increase in child poverty is a serious concern. Children who live in poverty are more likely to experience food insecurity, homelessness, and other hardships. They are also more likely to have lower educational attainment and lower lifetime earnings.

The effects of childhood poverty can be devastating and include poor health, education, and employment outcomes. However, there is hope. Organizations like United Way NCA are working to fight childhood poverty in local communities across America. You can help too. about the issue and how you can get involved.

Facts About Poverty In America

Child poverty starts with adult poverty in a vicious cycle.

The official child poverty rate in 2022 was 12.4% according to the United States Census Bureau.

Over 9 million children are estimated to be in poverty in the United States.

In 2022, 37.9 million people were in poverty in the United States.

15.3% of children under age 18 fell below the poverty line in 2021 according to the Center for American Progress.

How does poverty impact a child?

Child poverty can have a profound and lasting impact on a person's life. Growing up in poverty can lead to poorer health outcomes, lower educational attainment, and increased difficulty finding employment as an adult. Children who experience poverty are also more likely to experience food insecurity, poor housing, and limited access to healthcare. All of these factors can contribute to a cycle of poverty that is difficult to break.

The effects of child poverty are not limited to the individual level. Poor children are also more likely to grow up to be poor adults, which can have a negative impact on the economy as a whole. In addition, child poverty can lead to increased crime rates and social problems. Therefore, it is important to address the issue of child poverty in order to improve the lives of individual children and the health of society as a whole.

What is the Main Cause of Child Poverty?

The causes of child poverty are complex, but they are directly related to adult poverty. The costs and occasional unexpected expenses associated with raising children can be one of many reasons why families become impoverished. Reasons why the child poverty rate is so high in the U.S. include job loss, pay cuts, divorce or separation, and disabilities. According to a report from the National Center for Children in Poverty, nearly half of all children in the U.S. live in low-income families, and more than one in five live in poverty.

Children who grow up in poverty are more likely to experience a range of health problems, cognitive delays, and educational difficulties. They are also more likely to become trapped in a cycle of poverty as adults. It is clear that childhood poverty has a profound and lasting impact on individuals and society as a whole. That is why it is so important to address the issue head-on. By doing so, we can give children a better chance at achieving their full potential.

Here are some of the most common causes of childhood poverty:

Lack of Social Services

Childhood poverty is a complex issue with multiple causes, but lack of social services can play a significant role. In many low-income areas, there may be limited access to healthcare, education, and other services that can support families and provide opportunities for children to succeed. Without these resources, it can be difficult for parents to provide for their children and break the cycle of poverty. Additionally, cuts to social service programs can further exacerbate the issue. It's important for government and community leaders to prioritize funding and access to social services in order to address childhood poverty.

Lack of Education

Without a proper education, children from impoverished backgrounds are at a disadvantage when it comes to finding employment and upward mobility when they grow up to be adults. They often do not have the skills or knowledge necessary for successful careers, leading to a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. Additionally, education can provide valuable resources and support for families in need, such as free meals and healthcare. Without access to these resources, poverty is more likely to persist. Investing in education for disadvantaged children can break the cycle of poverty and create opportunities for a better future.

Discrimination and Disabilities

Things like racial discrimination and disabilities can contribute to childhood poverty in multiple ways. For example, people of color often face systemic barriers in education and employment opportunities, leading to lower income levels and difficulty providing for their families. Similarly, individuals with disabilities may also face challenges in finding and maintaining steady employment, leading to financial hardship for their families. These forms of discrimination can also lead to higher rates of incarceration for individuals from marginalized communities, further exacerbating the issue of poverty within those communities. It is important to address and eradicate these forms of discrimination in order to address childhood poverty at its roots.

How Does Poverty Impact Children?

Children who grow up in poverty often face a number of challenges that can negatively impact their growth and development. For example, hunger and illness can lead to delayed physical development, while things like housing insecurity and instability can cause cognitive delays.

In addition, poverty has been linked with academic underachievement, behavior problems, and social and emotional issues. As a result, it is important to provide support to children who are growing up in poverty-stricken environments. This may include access to healthcare, nutritious food, safe housing, and quality educational opportunities. By helping to address the needs of these children, we can help to break the cycle of poverty and give them a chance to reach their full potential.

Hunger and Malnutrition

Hunger and malnutrition are serious consequences of child poverty. Children who live in poverty often do not have access to enough nutritious food, leading to chronic hunger and malnutrition. These issues can have long-term effects on a child's physical and cognitive development, potentially impacting their future success and overall well-being. It is important to address child poverty in order to improve access to healthy food and reduce the devastating effects of hunger and malnutrition.

Housing Insecurity

One consequence of child poverty is housing insecurity, which can include living in overcrowded or unsafe housing, frequent moves, and even homelessness. Children who experience this kind of instability often struggle in school and face a higher risk for physical and mental health issues. Ensuring access to stable, affordable housing is an important step in improving outcomes for children living in poverty.

Behavioral and Academic Issues

Child poverty can have a significant impact on a child's behavior and academic performance. Research has shown that children living in poverty are more likely to exhibit disruptive behaviors, struggle with concentration and attention, and have lower academic achievement. These challenges can further perpetuate the cycle of poverty as children from low-income households are less likely to graduate from high school and pursue higher education. It is important for communities to address the root causes of poverty and provide resources and support for families in need to ensure that all children have equal opportunities for success.

How to Fight Child Poverty in Your Community

According to the 2023 ALICE Snapshot of the DMV region, there are 1.3 million adults and children who may be going without basic necessities in the DC area. The ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) population represents nearly 500,000 low- and moderate-income households in the DMV region who earn above the poverty line but below the cost of living.

In our 2022 ALICE in Focus: Children-D.C. report, we found that 54% of children in Washington, DC live below the ALICE threshold. Our programs aim to serve these vulnerable communities and connect them with vital resources like healthcare, education and workforce opportunities. Learn more about the ALICE population and how we're working to help them today.

Or, get involved in the fight against child poverty in our community by participating in United Way NCA's Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. Through this program, trained volunteers provide free tax preparation services for low-income families, helping them access important tax credits and financial aid. Additionally, United Way NCA's Weekend Hunger Backpack Program focuses on increasing access to healthy food options in under-served communities. By helping cover the weekend gap when children cannot depend on school cafeterias for meals, we can work towards ending childhood hunger.

To learn more, check out our work with the ALICE population , us today, or make a and do your part to end child poverty.
Updated on 12/14/2023

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Child Poverty in America: 2023 Facts & Statistics | United Way NCA

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Childhood poverty is a tragic problem affecting millions of children in America. Learn how to fight child poverty in your local community with United Way NCA.

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Students will create booklets containing resources and information about the causes and effects of poverty, homelessness, and hunger. Additionally, they will write letters to their local government requesting resources to help address these issues. This project will help engage students in advocating and speaking up for those in need.

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Inquiry Questions:

- What role do we play in these issues?

- How can we create an impact on others experiencing these issues?

- How can we collaborate as a community to eliminate hunger, homelessness, and poverty?

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LULU and the Hunger Monster by Erik Talkin

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LULU and the Hunger Monster by Erik Talkin

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This story of food insecurity presents a realistic and optimistic view, raising awareness of childhood hunger and fostering empathy while showing how anyone can contribute to ending hunger.

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Throughout the year, the boy sees everything she goes through. Finally, in a compassionate gesture, the boy acknowledges her in an interaction where he truly sees her and understands her experiences. This book provides an opportunity for kids and parents to start a conversation about homelessness.

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"Stick" is a story that nearly everyone can relate to. It's about finding yourself in an unexpected situation and having your friends and family help you find the courage to pick yourself back up and persevere.

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☀️ Kids Book Read Aloud: STICKS by Diane Alber

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Delia and Jessie spend Saturdays with Shoebox Sam, helping him with rich and poor customers. They learn about giving, caring, loving, and sharing. Then, one day, when a customer notices a prized pair of shoes, they uncover their greatest lesson.

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"Told honestly and respectfully, this timely story shines a perceptive light on current social concerns. Readers will be encouraged to think beyond themselves and celebrate the simple acts of kindness and sharing that make a difference in people's lives."

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A nonprofit organization in which students help collect excess food from the school cafeteria and donate it to community organizations.

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Students team up with nonprofit to help fight hunger

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[ Supportive Text 1] 8 Facts to Know About Food Waste and Hunger

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[ Supportive Text 1] 8 Facts to Know About Food Waste and Hunger

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This article explores the link between food waste and global hunger and suggests ways students can help reduce food waste to save lives.

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Students will host a movie night featuring documentaries or films related to homelessness or hunger. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items for donation to the local food bank.

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This book is helpful for children as it helps them understand how others struggle with issues such as poverty, homelessness, and hunger, and teaches them how they can offer help. It presents a visual image of the challenges that students around the world are dealing with.

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Inquiry Questions for students to think about while reading:

What are some examples of organizations that can help end hunger, homelessness, and poverty?

What steps do people take to advocate for something they strongly believe in?

How can we organize and take action to end this issue within our community?

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The book's use of alliteration, rhyming, and vibrant illustrations makes it exciting for children. The issues it raises resonate with the values of community, equality, and justice held by their parents. This engaging book carries important messages as it inspires hope for the future, encourages children to take action, and teaches them to love books.

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A is for Activist [READ ALOUD] by Innosanto Nagara

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Stand Against Poverty and Hunger: A young activist Guide

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Stand Against Poverty and Hunger: A young activist Guide

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This introduction to nonviolent activism aims to inspire you to combat poverty and hunger in your community and around the world. Young activists, use the practical and effective methods outlined in this book to mobilize others and support the most marginalized people. This series addresses critical social issues and aims to educate and motivate young people. The engaging content is designed to spark inspiration and prompt the next generation to take peaceful action. Empowered with knowledge and passion, young people have the ability to make a positive impact on the world!

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Alice Harman Stand Against: Poverty and Hunger (Taschenbuch) Stand Against | eBay

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Produktart: Taschenbuch. Title Format: Taschenbuch. Autor: Alice Harman. Zustand: Neu. Gewicht: 160g. Vibrant and clearly designed content will inspire the next generation to take peaceful actionnow.

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[Video Clip 1] We're Taught Education Can End Poverty. Here's the truth by New York Times

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[Video Clip 1] We're Taught Education Can End Poverty. Here's the truth by New York Times

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"Throughout the world, we often talk about the importance of education, but rarely do we take meaningful actions to support it. However, there are exceptions, such as Sierra Leone, one of the world’s most impoverished countries. In the video above, I visit Sierra Leone to document the country's effort to ensure that all children attend school, and to help them in learning how to read, even in poorly equipped schools without electricity or plumbing."

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We're Taught Education Can End Poverty. Here's the Truth. | NYT Opinion

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[ Video Clip 2] Talking Poverty and Hunger by WSPA 7 News

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[ Video Clip 2] Talking Poverty and Hunger by WSPA 7 News

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How a community initiated a program to enhance access to nutritious food, distribute it within the community, and eradicate hunger.

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Supportive Video 1 A World Without Poverty or  Hunger by IFAD

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Supportive Video 1 A World Without Poverty or  Hunger by IFAD

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It is enhancing food security in communities through understanding sustainable development principles.

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[ Supportive Text] About Hunger and Homelessness

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[ Supportive Text] About Hunger and Homelessness

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"This organization is dedicated to ending hunger, poverty, and homelessness for all."

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ABOUT HOMELESSNESS
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, over 582,000 people experience homelessness on any given night in the United States.
Homelessness Facts

Chronic homelessness is the term given to individuals that experience long-term or repeated bouts of homelessness.

127,705 individuals are considered chronically unhoused, an 16% increase between 2020 and 2022.

Over 67,000 of all homeless persons are veterans, comprising 10.6% of all unhoused people in the U.S.

Veterans are more than 2x as likely to become unhoused than those who didn't serve in the military.

60% of the entire homeless population are men.

Although they only make up 12% of the U.S. population, 37% of all people experiencing homelessness are African American.

Causes

The U.S. has a shortage of 7.3 million rental homes affordable and available to renters with extremely low incomes - that is, incomes at or below either the federal poverty guideline or 30% of their area median income. Only 33 affordable and available rental homes exist for every 100 extremely low-income renter households.

Poverty is the other major factor that contributes to homelessness. A lack of employment opportunities, combined with a decline in public assistance, leaves low-income families just an illness or accident away from being put out on the street.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a family with a full-time worker making minimum wage could not afford fair market rent for a two-bedroom apartment anywhere in the U.S.

The average person would need to make $25.82 per-hour to afford a modest 2-bedroom apartment - more than 3x the federal minimum wage.

Poor health is also closely linked to homelessness. 20% of the homeless population reported having a mental illness, 16% had conditions related to substance abuse, and thousands had HIV/AIDS, diabetes, or heart disease.

For many young people, single adults, and families, domestic violence is the primary cause of their homelessness.

The nationwide issues of homelessness and food insecurity form a critical intersection that severely impacts public health. An escalating housing crisis and inadequate income have trapped millions of Americans in a relentless cycle, leaving their health subjected to stressful living situations. Homelessness and food insecurity are not isolated problems, rather they amplify each other, creating a tempest of social and health deficiencies.

To combat these critical issues, there are a few things you can do to help. Starting with food insecurity, you can contribute to food banks, volunteer at local food distribution centers, and endorse policies that ensure everyone has access to healthy food options.

Simultaneously, it's important to address homelessness - by advocating for affordable housing, offering time or resources to shelters, and supporting policy changes for fair wages and employment opportunities. Our collective actions can build a compassionate and understanding society, significantly impacting those who are suffering.

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About Hunger and Homelessness | Move for Hunger

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Learn about hunger and homelessness in America. A look at the facts about homelessness and food insecurity data show that hunger and homelessness often have distinct causes.

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Engagement in the 21st Century Literacy:

In 21st-century Literacy Engagement, Students will create a video explaining the importance of advocating and organizing against hunger, homelessness, and poverty. They will also list the steps they would take when entering the community. Afterward, we will play the video clips in the classroom to discuss all the actionable steps together.