It's Getting Worse

Three years ago the government reported that there were over 36 million households in America that were "food insecure."  Now that number as increased to over 49 million households, increasing by a third in just three years.  It's clear that we're moving very quickly in the wrong direction and nearly everyone that deals with this problem on a daily basis believes it's just going to get worse in a bad economy like this one.  We all know that the majority of the major cuts in the next year won't be made in defense spending or eliminating tax cuts.  They will come in social programs that help those that are struggling in poverty.  We need to ask ourselves, what if this trend continues? What if it grows larger, as it surely will, especially when benefits are cut?

What should be our response?  First, we need to recognize that the answer isn't just spending more money, but a better plan, a more economical and comprehensive plan.  We need a plan that marshals both human and monetary resources to combat hunger.  We need a plan that cuts out much of the bureaucratic and ineffective administration of these programs and eliminates fraud.  We need a plan that offers greater incentives to the private sector to collaborate with the government to feed hungry children.

Second, the sacrifice must start from the top down instead from the bottom up.  It's like that simple admonition that many of us have heard and not enough of us practice - live simply so that others can simply live.  Even the richest people in America, like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, recognize the biblical wisdom that it is more blessed to give than to receive.  Whether that generosity is the willingness to pay more taxes, as Warren Buffett has embraced and endorsed, or to work with the government and other organizations to address this growing problem, this demands an "all hands on deck" approach.

Finally, the most effective way to solve this problem is to develop relationships with those we are trying to help.  We cannot lift people out of poverty.  We must offer them opportunities to help themselves.  It is true that many reasons for poverty are self-inflicted wounds, bad habits that frustrate financial prosperity.  The problem is that simply pointing that out is the single most ineffective response.  What is required is a relationship with those we're trying to help.  In fact, my limited experience suggests that resources, without relationships, are invariably wasted and often make matters worse (more on that later).  It may well be that this is the greatest source of waste in all of our efforts to help and it will continue until we change our strategy.

When we look at programs, like the summer food service program (SFSP), that serves lunches to kids from low-income families, and wonder why the participation rate in Texas is below 10%, perhaps we should try something different.  How about asking some of those families?  Perhaps the program, as presently structured, no longer serves the need or there are too many barriers to participation or there aren't enough incentives for the private sector to help.  Maybe instead of trying to be messiahs, we need to simply be neighbors and ask for their help.  The truth is, it's all of that and more, but when the conversation is limited to bureaucrats and administrators we will continue to wonder what's wrong with very little hope of ever discovering what it is.  (When I sit in those meetings I'm continually reminded of the philosopher George Santayana's definition of a fanatic as someone that redoubles their effort when they have forgotten their aim.)

The gap is growing wider and things are growing steadily worse.  It's insane to keep doing things the way we always have, but expect different results.  There are solutions to these problems, but it will demand engagement with a much broader group of people, including those we claim to care about and serve.  Millions of hungry children are waiting for us to act.