It's Hard to Learn When All You Can Think About Is How Hungry You Are

This week, we’re talking about weekend hunger:  what it is, who it affects, and why it’s such an important topic for the King County community.

Weekend hunger occurs when kids whose primary access to food is through their school meal programs go home on Friday afternoon.  These kids – many of whom are unhoused or even living alone – do not have access to food from Friday afternoon through Monday morning.  That’s two and half days of starvation, and anyone who has missed even a single meal knows how hungry, tired, distracted, and angry that can make a person. 

Imagine two and half days with no food. 

Imagine being a growing kid with no food for two and a half days. 

Can you feel the ache in your own belly yet?

Consistent access to nutritious food is critical to childhood development.  Numerous studies point to the negative impacts of persistent food insecurity on both cognitive and behavioral development in kids ages 12 and under.  Poor impulse control, impaired memory, a decreased approach to learning, and increased anxiety are only a few factors that lead to decreased academic performance.  And kids who struggle in school tend to have less successful post-graduation outcomes than their peers.  The bottom line:  it’s hard to learn when you are hungry.  And if you can’t learn, it’s harder to succeed as an adult.

Poverty is a huge issue which can feel overwhelming at times, but as a community we can tackle it together, in smaller pieces.  Addressing the problem of weekend hunger – ensuring that kids who already have so many challenges can show up for class on Monday morning well-fed, well-rested, and ready to learn – goes a long way toward changing their future outcomes.  Well-fed kids can become healthy, successful adults, adults that can make a difference for their own kids and their own communities.  One step at a time, we can break the cycle of poverty.

What are your thoughts?  Did you know the crisis of weekend hunger existed?  Are there kids suffering from food insecurity in your community’s schools?  How does poverty impact your community?  Let us know in the comments.