1. Sam Joplin, Cassie Oakes, Jessica shepherd
Childhood Hunger
Sam Joplin, Cassie Oakes, Jessica shepherd

2. Mission Statement
How can our students focus when they are hungry? Proper nutrition is essential for anyone to function. Twenty-eight percent of children in Arkansas are going without food at least one night every week. Hunger causes anemia, delays in brain development, poor performance on standardized exams, and could result in psychological disorders. When a child doesn’t receive proper substance it can also cause learning impairments and disabilities. These are just a few of the reasons why we should band together as educators to help prevent our students going hungry. This is unacceptable. Hunger is 100% preventable. There is enough food produced annually to feed everyone. The problem is not a lack of food, but where that food goes. Together we can see to it that the food goes to our children. The solution is found in the way that we look at the problem. One person at time can make a difference. Together, we are the solution. Together, we can end child hunger and impact the lives of our students.

3. 16 MILLION children live in a food insecure household!!!!
That is 1 in 5 children. How many children do you think you will see with this problem during your first year of teaching? Do you think you can make a difference? Of course you can!

4. Defining Childhood Hunger
Childhood hunger- this defined as prolonged exposure to not eating food which results in pain.
Childhood hunger definition varies, but a it is agreed upon that pain generally results from a lack of food.
Defining childhood hunger is simple and easily understood.
- Children suffer some days or suffer day to day without food.

5. What about Arkansas?
In 2009, Arkansas ranked number 1 in the United states for the highest percentage of hungry children.
Many of our children only have one to two meals a day during the school year, and the public school provides those.
More than 28% of families in Arkansas can barely afford groceries.
We are making progress, No Kid Hungry, helped to move us from number 1, to number 7.

6. The Effects of Hunger
Children who are hungry are more likely to become obese.
Children who suffered hunger while they were infants are more likely to be more anxious, less outgoing, less likely to try new things, and more easily angered, even into adulthood.

7. The Impact
Hunger causes a reduction in physical activity as well as motor skills.
Children with hunger are more likely to internalize their feeling in unhealthy ways.
Children are more likely to have developmentally delays later in life.

8. The Impact
There is a high correlation between hunger and the diagnosis of PTSD.
Twenty-three percent children exposed to hunger were born with low birth weights.
There is an impact on school attendance when a child lives in hunger. An access of missed school days will leave a student behind in their studies.

9. Childhood Hunger Stories
Childhood hunger occurs everywhere and affects every race/gender in America.
There are stories after stories from families that deal with child hunger on a daily basis. Often times, parents just do not have the resources to provide enough food for their children.
Jennifer’s Story

10. Resources for Families in Need
For some families, it is just a matter of finding help. Luckily, there is help available.
Basic Food-Food Stamps-help eligible families buy food with an Electronic Benefits Transfer Card (EBT).
WIC-WIC is a nutrition program for pregnant women, new and breastfeeding moms, and children under five. It provides monthly checks for healthy food, health screenings and referrals, nutrition education, and breastfeeding support.
School Meal Program-The School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program provides meals for kids enrolled in schools, from pre-kindergarten through high school. Kids in families that meet the income guideline can get meals for free or reduced price.
Summer Meals- provides free meals and snacks to all kids and teens (18 years old and younger) every summer, June through August.

11. Resources Continued
Local Food Pantries-Throughout communities, there are local food pantries that offer assistance for families in need.
Jonesboro has more than 34 local food pantries, including the Food Bank of North East Arkansas.
Meals For Moms- Meals for Mom’s is a local program in Jonesboro that provides moms in need with meals that are nutritional and filling.
Meals on Wheels- MOW is another program that offers meals at an affordable cost for families.
SNAP
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps people with low income get the food they need for good health. SNAP benefits are used in place of cash to buy food. Most people must spend some cash along with their SNAP benefits to buy enough food for a month.

12. Collaboration Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance
Crowley’s Ridge Development Council
They support many food assistance resources such as food banks and emergency food resources. They accept donations, increase awareness and provide resources.
They support low income families, assist with food, and help with resources. They will help low income families pay their energy bills up to twice a year.

13. Collaboration Tyson North East Arkansas Food Bank
Tyson provides resources to many different food banks, and they are dedicated to hunger relief through the KNOW hunger program. They also contribute to Arkansas’ “Cooking Matters” program, a program that teaches how to shop and prepare healthy budget friendly meals.
They provide many different programs to Arkansans including the backpack and senior pack program These programs send food home that will last the weekend for children and seniors in food insecure environments.

14. Collaboration Arkansas Rice Depot No Kid Hungry www.ricedept.org
Arkansas rice depot provides food assistance to need children and their families. They feed up to 15% of the state and distribute over 9 million pounds of food each year only to Arkansas!
They have partnered with former governor Mike Beebe, Share Our Strength, and Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. They help to alleviate hunger by increasing awareness of the SNAP program and helping needy families enroll.

15. The Importance of Advocacy
Child hunger occurs rapidly across the USA and is rapidly across Arkansas.
Advocating is essential for bringing awareness to people who do not live with hunger, or those who are not aware of the devastating prevalence.
Advocating helps bring legislature and programs into effect in Arkansas schools. These programs and pieces of legislature are essential for providing free meals to kids who are hungry. Legislature also effects the types of meals we are able to provide for these students.
Advocacy of child hunger brings awareness of its effects on childhood academics. Do you know this fact ? Statistically about a 17 % percent test score increase occurs when children are provided break feast verses children who are hungry.

16. We are the solution.
The way to solve any problem is to find the solution.
How to change the world
There is already enough food in the world to feed everyone. The problem is getting the food to the hungry. That is where we come in. We have the ability to provide families with support and assistance.
Become Informed
Get Involved
Keep Educating

17. Sources
Agnew, A. (2014, February 02). The Effects of Hunger on Children Retrieved from of-hunger-on-children/
Agnew, A. (2014, February 02). The Effects of Hunger on Children. Retrieved
from children/
Weinreb, L., Wehler, C., Perloff, J., Scott, R., Hosmer, D., Sagor, L., & Gundersen, C. (n.d.). Hunger: Its impact on children's health and mental health. Retrieved from
Child Hunger Is an Everyday Struggle. N.p., 20 Jan Web.
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18. Sources
Black, M., Casey, P., Cook, J., Cutts, D., Chilton, M., & Frank, D. (2008). Household food insecurity: Associations with at-risk infant and toddler developmen. In R. Rose-Jacobs (Author), Pediatrics (Vol. 121, Ser. 1, pp ).
Deloitte. (n.d.). No Kid Hungry. Retrieved March 6, 2015, from

19. Other Information Stories Letter to Senator Irving
Michael, Nicky, and Jennifer
Letter to Senator Irving
Professional Resources
The Food Effect, Live Strong, No Kid Hungry, AR Hunger Alliance, USDA, Arkansas Matters, World Hunger, Feeding America, etc.
Flyer
Opposing Arguments
Republic National Committee,