American citizens are faced with the problem of “food insecurity.” Food insecurity is the struggle to put food on the table; living paycheck to paycheck.

Millions of people in the United States are suffering from food insecurity. The United States Department of Agriculture USDA reported that 49 million people are facing hunger. A majority of this number is children.

A recent USA Today article that was published on April 16, 2014, had a statement from a woman that said, “The saddest thing is when my oldest son would say, ‘mommy, you can eat my food.’” The woman goes on to say that she does not want her kids to suffer from food insecurity.

One factor that has caused food insecurity is the recession which forced individuals to lose their jobs. In many aspects the American economy is recovering; however, poverty is one aspect that still remains the same.

Food is a physiological need, and in order to develop and function properly, individuals need a sufficient intake of nutrients from food. Resources are limited; nevertheless, individuals should not have to worry about putting food on the table.

Food stamps, which are dispersed depending on an individual’s income, are currently not solving the problem of food insecurity.  It is time that America came together to fight against food insecurity.

The solution to this problem is not an easy fix, and the problem will not be solved overnight. In my opinion, a step in the right direction would be creating more awareness. Knowing that 49 million people are food insecure is shocking. Governments and authority figures should put emphasis on the issue of food insecurity on a regular basis.

Since a vast amount of food insecure is amongst children, schools should initiate a program along the lines of the Brown Bag Program, whether that means providing students with breakfast or lunch each day or weekly. The Brown Bag Program should be initiated especially to the younger children who are in developing stages.