Almost three years ago, the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger gained
extraordinary support from the Northfield Savings Bank in the form of a $450,000
grant to pursue the mission of lessening hunger in Washington and Chittenden
counties over a three-year period. Part of the Campaign's process was to create
regional citizen councils in Washington and Chittenden counties. The Washington
County Council has been co-chaired by Mary Hooper, Mayor of Montpelier, and me,
and has had active and steady participation and coordination by organizations and
individuals such as the Central Vermont Community Action Council, Food Works, The
Family Center of Washington County, Central Vermont Council on Aging, the Vermont
Foodbank, Community Connections, local churches, several local food shelves, local
representatives of the Agency of Human Services, representatives of our
congressional delegation, school food service officers, a school superintendent, and
others, too numerous to specifically name.
A question was posed three years ago that is at the heart of the issue: Is it really
possible to eliminate children's hunger? At that time I said "Of course it is possible, if
we all work together toward that important common purpose."
We've been at this work now for almost three years, and it is time to step back and
soberly assess what we have accomplished and the lessons learned.
First, there is no question that the idea of hungry children in Vermont brings out the
best in all to deal with the problem. The level of volunteerism is remarkable. And the
dedication required to keep pushing against the tide of hunger runs deep. As a result
of many working together, we believe we have made important progress. More
children in school are receiving breakfasts and lunches, and the nutritional value of
these meals has been steadily improving, as more and more schools make local
purchases of food. More children are being fed in summer and in child care programs.
Based on ideas flowing from the Councils, the state of Vermont amended its "food
stamp" (now called 3SquaresVT) policy allowing more families and children to be
eligible for more food support, a very important measure in this serious recession.
Through genuine and consistent interest by local media outlets, more and more
Vermonters are more acutely aware of the problem, and more are willing to help in
specific ways. For example, there are efforts such as that by Bob Nelson, at Nelson's
Hardware in Barre, where the store donated a large portion of the cost of 20 crock
pots, which were then used by Betty Hammond, food service manager of Montpelier
Schools to teach a cooking course at the Hedding Methodist Church in Barre, for 18
families who learned the art of cooking nutritious crock pot meals. Such actions are
representative of many local efforts across the county to cut into this nagging
problem.
There have also been state-level commissions regarding children's poverty and
hunger, where nutrition issues for children were front and center.
All of this work, volunteerism, good will, and effort has reduced hunger and improved
the lives of children in Washington and Chittenden Counties. At the same time, we
have no way of assessing the impact of the recent economic effect on Vermont
families and children, but we do know that it is not good.
One unavoidable conclusion is that we can make a larger impact by focusing our
efforts on policy changes in addition to food drives. Part of the problem is that, this
extensive volunteering, donating, and working on behalf of the hungry appeals to our
inner sense of satisfaction, and that what we do at this level is tangible. The steps we
take are incremental enough to be understandable, and are steps that we can control.
Ordinary citizens trying to affect national and state policy can be a daunting prospect,
with little sense of cause and effect. While running a food drive, or cooking for the
hungry brings instant gratification, it may do little to prevent hunger and can shame
those we think we are helping.
Policy makers have taken advantage of this extensive human largesse by not tackling
the roots of the hunger and poverty problem. The problem is easy not to confront as
long as local organizations bring major volunteerism and resources to soften the
problem. For example, consider how well society would tolerate children going without
food altogether, as many would without the food provided by charitable efforts.
Instead we tolerate the fact that children and elders are fed out of pantries and soup
kitchens.
We will have a greater impact when we concentrate more of our efforts on policy
changes that will feed children, elders and other vulnerable people quality food with
dignity as part of their day. We must be wary of expending our efforts on pure charity,
that people must come and ask for and which diminishes them, but that makes us, the
givers, feel good about what we do.
The big conclusion after spending almost three years with the many good people and
organizations trying to help those that are hungry and who suffer from poor nutrition
is, that until we have strong national and state policy and action about alleviating
hunger in our society, it will matter little how hard people and organizations work and
how well they work together. Childhood hunger will be an unavoidable part of the
American and Vermont scene.
But that won't stop us from trying...
Cornelius Hogan, Plainfield, Vermont