Starving

In these best of times, hunger is on the rise

"Eats first, morals after." Bertolt Brecht's line from The Threepenny Opera is one of his more memorable comments on human nature. But underlying it is a probing question: what does it say about a society that it lets its people go hungry?

Across America, we live in a time of plenty, yet hunger is on the rise. (See "The Hunger.") Catholic Charities USA reports that in 1997 the nationwide demand for emergency food went up by 14 percent. Here in Massachusetts, two-thirds of the 350 soup kitchens and food pantries supported by Project Bread, a community nonprofit organization, report increased need. And, as ever, children are the hardest hit: according to government statistics, there are now 62,000 children in the state who do not get enough to eat.

Some of these children have probably passed you in the street and you didn't know it. Malnutrition in America is brutal but inconspicuous. Deprived of the calories, vitamins, and minerals vital to body size and brain development, hungry children can develop learning disabilities and emotional problems, become more susceptible to a range of debilitating physical illnesses, and leave themselves vulnerable to psychological and social problems that lead to apathy and withdrawal -- stunting educational development. Such children don't shine; they labor through life pulling a great burden.

This winter, more children will likely feel the weight. In December, the first group of families affected by welfare reform will actually lose their benefits. By 2002, Washington will have cut the annual budget for food stamps by $27.7 billion.

We reject the notion that government should balance its books on the backs of children. The more we learn about hunger, the more we learn of its long-term -- and costly -- effects. One study found that every dollar spent feeding pregnant women through the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program saved between $1.77 and $3.13 in Medicaid expenses for their children later on. Food-deprived children are more likely to get sick, and more likely to need hospitalization.

Hungry kids are also poor students. They are four times more likely to have trouble concentrating; they are twice as likely to be late or absent. They exhibit more behavior problems. In short, they are more likely to disrupt others, and more likely to need extra help themselves. Every time they have to repeat a grade, it costs several thousand dollars. These are also the students who, abandoned, will be more likely to show up in the juvenile justice system.

Why not provide free breakfasts in all public schools? This idea is being pushed in Massachusetts by Ron Kleinman, a doctor who heads the division of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition at Mass General. Two generations ago, the nation resolved to end poverty among the elderly. The result was Social Security. Why don't we bring the same passion to ending the scourge of hunger, particularly among the most vulnerable?

What you can do

There are a number of ways to get involved.

The Walk for Hunger. This Sunday, May 3, Project Bread is sponsoring its 29th annual 20-mile pledge-walk to raise money to support 350 food pantries and soup kitchens across the state. For more information, call 723-5000, or e-mail info@projectbread.org.

The Grow Clinic. Founded in 1984, the clinic is a nationally recognized center for kids suffering the mental, physical, and behavioral effects of hunger. The clinic is always looking for volunteers and for donations of clothes, books, toys, and money. Two-thirds of the clinic's budget comes from private donations. For more information, call 534-5251.

Food pantries/soup kitchens. For information on what's needed at a food pantry or soup kitchen in your neighborhood, call Project Bread at (617) 723-5000.

What do you think? Send an e-mail to letters[a]phx.com.