Join fight against hunger
Toolbox
Published: December 9, 2009
The USDA recently released a report revealing that Vermont is the 6th hungriest state in the nation. How can this be, when at the same time Burlington has been called one of the healthiest cities in America? Hunger in Vermont is hidden and subtle, but at the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger, we hear the stories that reinforce the grim statistics: teachers are keeping extra food in their desks for when children complain of being too hungry to learn; parents are working two or three jobs and still can't afford healthy foods for their children; elders struggle with the decision of whether to buy medicine or food. At the same time, the numbers of people lining up at food shelves increases, and the numbers of people participating in programs like 3SquaresVT (formerly food stamps) is at an all-time high.
Dec. 10 is International Human Rights Day, 61 years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document has become the foundation for how the international community measures different countries' treatment of their people. On this day, Vermonters have the opportunity to reflect: Do we consider having enough healthy food a right that every Vermonter should be guaranteed?
We must come together to ensure a strong nutrition safety net for all Vermonters. We need solutions that maximize the use of federal nutrition programs such as 3SquaresVT, school meals, and child care meals, and we need to mobilize resources at the local level to see people through tough times. Just as our society has come to accept that every American citizen has the right to vote, so we must be able to stand up and say that every human being has the right to be free from hunger.
Marissa Parisi
Executive Director
Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger
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