FIGHTING HUNGER IS HOMELAND SECURITY
BY JULIANNE MALVEAUX
Traditionally, Thanksgiving means the floodgates of charitable requests
open, and mailboxes get filled with end-of-year solicitations for every cause
imaginable. There is no such clear demarcation this year, though, since we
have all been deluged with requests since the tragedies of September 11.
Between the slowing economy and September 11, many non-profit organizations
are finding that fundraising is harder because people have generously dug
into their pockets in response to terrorism’s tragedies and are now finding
their resources somewhat constrained.
Charitable giving has risen by an average of 22 percent a year since 1995.
Now, the party’s over. Foundations and corporations give based on portfolio
returns or profits, both of which are falling. Individuals give based on
their own sense of well being, which also seems shaky as the economy
sputters. Many charities say they will have to work harder to get the same
donations they got just a year ago, partly because of our laggard economy,
partly because many feel they have given as much as they can. Yet our shaky
economy means that the need for charitable giving is greater than it was when
nonprofit organizations were awash in donations.
The number of Americans seeking food assistance rose to 23 million, which is
7.5 percent more than four years ago, according to Second Harvest, a national
network of food aid organizations. Thirty-nine percent of the households
seeking food aid had at least one employed adult in the house. Many of the
hungry, then, are the working poor and their children. Two-thirds of the
adults seeking food aid were women. Nearly 20 percent were over 65, with the
number of elderly people requesting food assistance rising by more than 16
percent in 4 years. According to the Second Harvest study, only 10 percent
of the requests came from homeless people.
Despite 10 years of economic expansion homelessness also remains a problem,
so much so that President Bush has announced $1 billion in federal aid for
the homeless. He also asked people to give more to charities that have been
hard-hit because of the surge in giving for September 11 victims. The
President’s call to dig deeper is laudable, but lacks context. One of the
reasons that people are giving more modestly is because they have less to
give. The corporations he would aid with his stimulus package aren’t likely
to do much more charitable giving, but putting money in the hands of middle
class and working class Americans is likely to result in a few more dollars
donated to the nation’s charities.
Perhaps Americans should dig more deeply into their pockets, but it seems
that government should also develop public policies to reduce hunger. It
should be easier for the working poor to get food stamps. When the economy
turns down, our “welfare reform” policies should be amended to allow those
who are hit by the downturn to receive temporary assistance. And government
can partner with food relief agencies to make their jobs easier.
Too many of those who provide food to the hungry do so on shoestring budgets.
They rely heavily on volunteers who spend about 51 hours a year on hunger
relief activities. WE should pay more attention and provide more recognition
to those who are warriors on the front lines of our nation’s battle against
hunger. When we speak of homeland security, we should be clear that those
who choose to battle hunger are warriors for homeland security.
Our nation’s hunger problems didn’t begin yesterday, but the focus on them
has shifted because so many of us have been concerned with the direct victims
of the September 11 attacks. But we traditionally begin to look at hunger
issues after Thanksgiving, as many who feel blessed by groaning tables full
of food begin to pay attention to those who don’t have anything. While food
banks can expect more volunteers and donations in coming weeks, hunger is a
year-round challenge for many Americans.
Donations to September 11 relief came, according to a New York Times study,
at the expense of giving to the arts, health, and advocacy groups. By the
end of the year, we’ll also know whether hunger-serving organizations are
also affected by the shift in giving that seems to be taking place. It will
take more than our President’s exhortation to dig deeper to provide food for
those who are hungry. In addition to our charitable contributions, it will
also take a shift in policy. As we mobilize around “homeland security”, we
should understand that feeding people makes our nation more secure.