Explain Hunger to Me

When I was in college, my football coach told us when we went to the cafeteria, “The food you get, make sure you eat it!” He was telling us not to be wasteful. I can also remember my dad letting me know that if I asked for something to eat, I’d better eat it. As a father now, I am going through this phase with my kids. If they ask for something to eat, they need to finish their food. But my kids are having a hard time with the concept of being hungry.

In my time working at Feed the Hunger I have come across many orphanages and children’s programs that receive only limited food. While I was in Haiti in 2010, we stopped at a school where the kids were being dismissed, but they hadn’t eaten lunch. A lot of those kids weren’t going to eat when they got home either. It made me think about the times that I might have been wasteful with my food, or the times I’ve seen my kids waste their meal.

The other day I had the opportunity to explain to my son about hungry kids around the world. My son had a few potatoes left on his plate—after asking for extra—and wanted to throw them away.

The conversation went like this:

Me: “What are you doing?”

Son: “I don’t want this anymore; I’m going to throw it away.”

Me: “Son, you need to finish all of your food.”

Son: “But I don’t want this anymore…”

Me: “Do you know that some kids your age do not get a meal to eat? Some kids go days, weeks, and even months without eating, and they sometimes die.”

Son: “Why don’t they just go get something to eat then?”

Me: “Sometimes they don’t have the money or the means to get food. I work for an organization that provides food for some kids. So the food that you are about to throw away could go to a hungry child my organization provides food for. So to put it in perspective, when you throw your food away, it’s like you have denied another child having a meal. 16,000 kids die from hunger each day. So by you being blessed, you have the luxury to enjoy a meal. Please don’t let this be a meal that another hungry child could have and you just throw it away.”

My explanation may not have been totally correct, but I hope that he understands how important a meal is and that he shouldn’t take it for granted. I wish more people would understand how important and valuable food really is. God has truly blessed us, but there are some people here in America and many across the world who have been through tough times or are not as fortunate as others. I pray that God’s people will see that we have a responsibility to help our fellow brother and sister in such an important time of need.

So on behalf of Feed the Hunger, thank you for your continuing support and prayers. We couldn’t feed anyone without you!

…“You give them something to eat.”
Mark 6:37

Vincent Graves | Graphic Designer/IT