When I was a reporter at the Amarillo Globe-News, I had a few opportunities to interview Dyron Howell, the founder of Snack Pak 4 Kids. The program provides weekend bags of food to school children throughout the Texas Panhandle who may otherwise go without eating during the days they’re away from school.
One of the things I always remember from our conversations is the way hunger affects a child’s physical and mental health, and his or her ability to concentrate and learn. For a child who is chronically hungry, hunger becomes the leading force and cause of all he or she does.
Science Daily gives a decent breakdown of the research completed by the Boston University School of Medicine and Boston Medical Center, where researchers studied the associations between food insecurity and how children may adversely develop when it comes to academic performance, social behaviors and mental health.
The information shows that hunger doesn’t just affect a child’s stomach – it spills over into all aspects of a child’s life.
Pickles and Pens 