Have you seen the television interviews with ‘COVID-deniers’ incredulously claiming they don’t believe the disease is as bad as the media claims – or exists at all – because they don’t know of anyone who has been infected? Does it make you want to scream? Yeah, me too! These are people who are refusing to don’t know what their friends and relatives are going through, are seriously dishonest, or they really need a wider circle of relationships.
But most importantly, you don’t have to know anybody who is ‘infected’ – if you don’t notice the restaurant closings, or just the irregular hours; if you don’t know anyone with kids telecommuting to school; if you don’t know a hospital worker; if you don’t know anyone who has lost a job…do you know anyone going hungry?
The most astonishing impact of of COVID-19, is skyrocketing co-pandemic f hunger in the United States. Having worked for a nonprofit which has a food pantry as one of its direct service programs, I have seen hunger driven by the inequities that existed in our city pre-pandemic: health and income disparities, poverty and homelessness were all the reasons for hunger, before the pandemic. Now, add to these the new poor, those having lost their jobs, fallen behind in their bills as they now are reliant on unemployment insurance (with or without the $600 per week bonus support); people threatened with eviction and those with health issues, are now in staggeringly long lines with those who were in need before COVID. And, just like with the direct economic impact of the coronavirus, it will be months, perhaps even a couple of years, before we see anything like ‘normal’ when it comes to hunger and food insecurity.
According to Feeding America, a US hunger, relief organization, reports that prior to 2020, a projected 35 million Americans were reported to have experienced hunger. The estimate for 2020, is 50 million Americans who will go hungry, at some point during the year. There are not enough adjectives to describe how catastrophic this is for American life and culture.
In Dallas, the North Texas Food Bank is reporting heroic efforts to deal with pandemic related hunger. Erica Yeager, chief external affairs officer for the North Texas Food Bank, said they’re serving 10 million meals a month. “History tells us that we can expect to see this elevated need for at least the next two years.”
Of course to say that this surge in hunger is ’caused by the pandemic’ is to not only state the obvious, but it is to allow ‘the obvious’ to obscure underlying societal structural fissures to which we didn’t pay attention before the coronavirus presented itself. In 2019, some 53 million people were classified as low wage workers because they earned $10.22 or less. Many of those low wage workers are now referred to as ‘essential workers’. A term that includes hospital employees (doctors, nurses and nursing home workers), but fast food workers, landscapers and employees who work in childcare centers. In other words a list of people whose jobs call for them to risk infection, while engaged in employment which makes them economically vulnerable – even to the point of being unable to feed themselves or their families.
It also includes those whose lives were lived on the margin before the pandemic. In 2019 families with children reported 6.5 percent food insecurity, down from 7.1 percent in 2018. While statistics for this year aren’t available yet, we do know that some 21 million children, in grades K-12 from low income households were dependent upon free and reduced breakfast and lunches that they were receiving when they were at school. The inability to depend on those meals, means unquestioned hunger for some, if not many of these children.
If you can’t comprehend the enormity of the issue by looking at apparently interminably long lines of cars during food drives, or if you think that the answer is simply more generously stocked food pantries, consider this: whenever you see hundreds of families in their automobiles, lined up for hours to take advantage of the generosity and compassion of those amazing volunteers – realize that this literally represents the tip of the iceberg. And then realize that the philanthropic hunger relief community cannot handle all of the need out here.
So what’s the answer?
Some of the answer has to do with food policy.
The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – formerly ‘food stamps’), that provides food assistance to approximately 1.4 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will provide approximately $202 million in emergency benefits through the state’s partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas Governor Greg Abbot says, “We will continue to ensure Texans can provide nutritious food for their families throughout the COVID-19 response…extending these emergency benefits for the month of November.”
The emergency November allotments are in addition to the almost $1.5 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans between April and October.
This is a good step. But how about making this extension indefinite if not permanent?
A family of four with a monthly income of slightly more than $3600 can qualify for SNAP benefits and can be awarded a maximum of $680 a month. But how about relaxing the rules on eligibility – particularly during a pandemic – so that more families who would not otherwise qualify for public food assistance, can get the support they need. Public-assistance programs are often designed to limit enrollment rather than to guarantee nutrition to everyone thrown out of work during a global pandemic.
Increase the unemployment insurance stimulus – a part of the CARES Act – to give the unemployed some economic resources during this pandemic. Of the 23 million unemployed workers, this program, which includes self-employed, part timers, gig workers contractors and free lancers and who constitute at least half, or 13.5 million workers receiving unemployment benefits. These benefits end after December.
The last recommendation would be increase the federal stimulus to all tax payers from $1200 to $1500. Although this has been a one time stimulus, it would be helpful to workers who may have had at least one household worker with reduced hours, or who may be working part time.
These are not suggestions original with me, nor are they a full panoply of suggestions that can help provide some support to those who are struggling to put food on the table during these increasingly hard times.
But when you’re hungry, every dime – or dollar – helps…
A Cup of Black Coffee 