America’s kids are going hungry over the summer because their parents can’t afford food

ZeroCool@vger.social to politics @lemmy.world – 256 points –
Here's why America's kids are going hungry over the summer
fortune.com
23

This isn't just a danger due to physical concerns or growth stunting.

It wires these kids brains for a resource scarce life. Which makes them think short term only.

People always talk about why everyone's crashing out these days, this is why.

I grew up food insecure when I was very young, and you really don't get over it. It's been hard not to hoard food as an adult.

It's generational too...

My mom had a very poor hillbilly childhood. My friends never understood why I have like 4-6 months worth of food in the pantry at all times instead of just buying as I eat.

Even in college when everyone was always broke, pantry just has to stay stocked. There always has to be a cushion.

I wouldn't really call that food hoarding though, but it's subjective

Keeping six months of food on hand is definitely hoarding.

But I get it.

6 months is stretching it.

But the pantry and freezer stays full. Like zombie survival type rationing I could probably go 6 months. But that all stays good forever, whatever I use I just re-up and put it at the back and move it all up.

Beats having to do home canning like I had to help with growing up tho lol.

Is there a resource I can read more about this.

Sounds like me to a t

Here's a general article, but there's lots of academic studies available if you search:

https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/how-poverty-affects-the-brain-and-behavior

It doesn't just have to be when young, poverty fucks your brain up because for the vast majority of human evolution, if you were hungry or didn't have shelter, that was what you needed to focus on.

It's Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

If you don't know what that is, that's a good place to start. Then read up how the absence effects people.

Thank you. I'm going to take a few days to unwind before I take it all in but this looks like a solid overview. Its always better to be aware and conscious of this stuff.

Oh for sure, the wealthy know all about this.

Despite everything they try to distract us with, it's a class war and only one side has the energy after surviving to fight it.

The more normal people aware of it, the more progressives get elected, and the better our chances of living in a functional society again.

This makes me SO HAPPY!

-Christ Loving Republicans who have no problem with their Tax Dollars paying for Jeff Bezos new Yacht.

There’s summer EBT, available nationwide for states that opt in, bringing eligible families $120 as a summer grocery benefit—which has been found to decrease by a third the number of households with children who sometimes went hungry. (But despite that, 14 states, including Georgia, Alabama, and Texas, have not opted in.)

State governments that would prefer children starve

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This has always been the case. It's just that nobody cared/could do anything about it. Now, there's an effort to feed these kids, but if course the Republicans have to fight it.

Don't forget about republicans' efforts to sabotage any free meal programs they can. If parents get priced out of food because of corporate greed, you can't expect the state to pick up the tab, can you???

Got my kids back after 4 years of custody battle. They eat white rice, ramen noodles, white bread, potatoes and Kool-Aid popsicles. Anything else is far too flavorful.

What kinda loser do you have to be to not feed little kids?!

Got my kids back after 4 years of custody battle. They eat white rice, ramen noodles, white bread, potatoes and Kool-Aid popsicles. Anything else is far too flavorful.

What kinda loser do you have to be to not feed little kids?!

What a remarkably ignorant thing to say. You sound like the kind of ignorant, aggressively unempathetic, jerk that probably shouldn't be winning any custody battles.