South Carolina is the next presidential primary (Feb.20) with debates taking place tonight for the Democrats and Saturday for the Republicans. One of the big issues facing the state is hunger, especially among children.
According to the latest data from Feeding America, just over 17 percent of the population of South Carolina struggles with hunger. Among children that number goes up to over 25 percent. Several counties have child hunger rates exceeding thirty percent.
The Harvest Hope Food Bank says many residents are struggling in poverty, having to make difficult choices between food and other vital services like utilities and education.
As the presidential candidates descend on the state, they need to talk about their plans for hunger relief for the poor. They will need to address what safety nets can be deployed to feed the hungry and what solutions can help lift the poor out of poverty.
There are many areas to improve in hunger relief. For example, only twenty percent of children in South Carolina who receive free lunches during the school year also receive them during the summer. So that is one of the gaps that has to be closed to help families. What about additional backpack programs with take home rations during the school year to fight hunger?
There are many short-term and long-term issues to deal with about hunger in South Carolina and other states. Hunger in America has dramatically escalated largely due to the Great Recession of 2007-2009. There is a long road to recovery and the next President will have to take on this issue.
Read the full article at Examiner:
Author William Lambers 