Mother’s day is Sunday, May 13 – a time to celebrate the sacrifices and joys mothers have brought to our lives.  In today’s hungry America, the challenges poor mothers face is not very well known. In fact, the face of hunger is very much a woman’s face. Social factors including unequal opportunity for education and employment, domestic violence, inequitable wage compensation, insufficient child support, and lack of access to affordable healthcare and housing make it difficult for mothers to put and keep food on the table.

There is finally more research available to understand the unique circumstances mothers face, and provide policy solutions to address the situation. In this four-part series, we’ll look at three stories about real mothers, the facts surrounding their struggles, and our recommendations for supporting hungry women and their families.

A Mother’s Hunger Part 1: The Female-Headed Hungry Household

Tiffany regularly feels the physical pain of hunger. “I frequently go without food. I feed my children first and go without,” says Tiffany from here in Austin, Texas. “My children understand the sacrifice I make. They thank me every day.” Her children are between the ages of 12 and 18, she continued, “it’s extremely difficult being a single mother. It’s a struggle living every day.”

Fact:  Gender and single motherhood play a big role in hunger.

Single motherhood is very common here in the U.S. and above average in comparison to other high-income countries. Half of all mothers will spend some time as the only parent, while one in four mothers are exclusively the only parent.  The Women’s Legal Defense and Education fund has a great fact sheet on the state of single motherhood in the U.S.

Of these single mother households, more than a third in America were at risk of hunger or food insecure, the highest rate of food insecurity for household types tracked by the census.

Not surprisingly, single mother poverty rates are high, even when SNAP and Earned Income Tax Credits are counted.

When we look at statistics at the local level, things get worse.  The Community Action Network’s Community Dashboard for 2012 shows that women and children are most likely to be low-income (making less than $44,100 annually for a family of four).   48 percent of single mothers in Travis County with children under the age of five live in poverty (making less than $23,050 annually for a family of four).

Research has shown that it is often the mother who chooses not to eat so that her children will be nourished.  How does that choice impact a mother’s health?

In part 2, we’ll explore a mother struggling with the paradox of hunger and obesity.

Have you ever felt the pangs of hunger? It’s not pleasant. Just ask Tiffany. “I frequently go without food. I feed my children first and go without,” says Tiffany. She continued “my children understand the sacrifice I make. They thank me everyday. I don’t have a job right now, and my husband doesn’t pay child support for our five children.” Her children are between the ages of 12 and 18. “It’s extremely difficult being a single mother. It’s a struggle living every day,” says Tiffany.

Tiffany is not alone. In 2010 more than 4.4 million Texans, including more than 398,000 in the Capital Area Food Bank’s 21 county service territory, lived in poverty. More than 138,000 of those are children – comprising about 35% of all the poor in Central Texas. To put their situation into perspective, for a family of six living in poverty like Tiffany’s, means they make less than $29,990 per year in gross income. Both Travis and Williamson counties experienced significant increases in individuals living in poverty from last year – 2.8% and 2.4% respectively. While across the nation, poverty increased 1% from 2009.

Use the interactive map to view the number of children living in poverty in each of our 21 Central Texas counties. Click on individual counties to view more data about each county including total poverty, percentage in poverty and median household income.

“Finding a job would make my situation less stressful,” explains Tiffany. “I’ve been looking and I’m trying to get my older children to find a job. I actually don’t know how I’m going to pay my light bill at the end of the week—not to mention my rent.”

“Food pantries are very important because there are a lot of hungry people right now. It’s important for us to come together and help one another,” she says. “This food pantry has helped me out a great deal. They never turn anyone away.” Tiffany hopes her children have a bright future. “I want my children to graduate, find a good job and do better than their mother.”

In August, I sent my three kids back to school with all new school supplies, lunchboxes, clothes, and even haircuts.  All those new things don’t guarantee good grades, but signify putting our best efforts forward for the new school year.  And just the ritual of getting ready for the start of school is exciting itself.

As a single mom of three, I definitely have a tight budget, and getting my kids ready for school was expensive. But it was an investment I couldn’t afford not to make.  And beyond the morning discussion of whether they “take or buy lunch” that day, I don’t worry about them being prepared for school with a full stomach.

Too many parents today however, have this worry, and are making some difficult choices.  Deciding whether to buy milk and bread or pay the electric bill; whether to feed your child breakfast or fill the car with gas so you can get to work that morning.

In a recent report from Feeding America, over 25% of the children in the Capital Area Food Bank’s (CAFB) 21-county service area live in a food insecure household.  This means that 1 in 4 don’t know where they will get their next meal.  Some of these children will receive school meals at a reduced price or for free, but still go home every evening and weekend to an empty fridge.

As a society, we strive to meet the ideal of taking care of our children.  In fact, we uphold this value so much that the penalties for committing a crime are often enhanced whenever the victim is a child.  We make special laws to keep them safe—whether they are car seats or cell-free school zones.  “Our children are our future” is a favorite phrase of politicians.  However, a basic need and right that supports their future—food—is absent for way too many.

A hungry child is not just a growling belly.  They become a statistic—a discipline statistic, a truancy statistic and sometimes a drop-out statistic.  The lack of consistent and healthy food affects their physical and mental health, behavior and ability to learn.  Ask any teacher, and they can likely tell you who in their class had breakfast that morning and who didn’t.  Being “ready to learn” is not just about completing last night’s homework; it is also about being adequately nourished.

CAFB works to do our part because of the 48,000 Central Texans we are serving each week, 20,000 are children.  We just completed our second year as a sponsor of the Summer Food Service Program, a federal program that enabled us to provide 36,000 free meals for children this summer. Our Kids Cafe program continues to expand and now operates from 34 sites year-round, feeding children after school.

Hunger is a consequence of poverty and until it releases its grip on our country, it will continue to take a combination of efforts—CAFB programs, a network of food pantries, soup kitchens, school meal programs, donations, other government nutrition programs, and yes, the best endeavors of their parents—to help feed these children.  Take one part away and you tear a large hole in the hunger safety net.

Unfortunately, Congress is considering cuts to critical nutrition programs in that safety net which helps families feed their kids.  If funding is cut, hunger relief organizations alone will not be able to fill the hole.

The other night, my kindergartener tackled his first “homework” assignment, and we sat where we always do—the dinner table.  Our round, pine table is pretty worn—from the dents of my daughter’s handwriting practice to the glue and glitter of her sister’s last art project.  That table has also seen many loads of laundry, bills, family “discussions” and many, many meals.  And for that, we are fortunate and thankful.

There is no reason in a community such as ours that any child’s dinner table should be empty.  All of our children deserve to go back to school with everything they need to succeed—whether it be a full backpack or a full stomach.

For many children, it can be hard to imagine life without three square meals a day. But for 1 out of 4 children in the US, hunger is a reality they must face each and every day.

In order to address the issues of hunger and poverty and encourage discussion among youth, Sesame Street will be airing a primetime special introducing their newest muppet, Lily, who comes from a struggling family. The episode, produced in collaboration with Feeding America, will highlight the strategies used by families in need, such as school meal programs, community gardens, and food pantries.

Feeding America hopes that the episode will help children understand that those struggling with food insecurity are people just like them with their own stories to tell. Furthermore, by helping children become aware of the hardships of poverty and hunger from a young age, they hope that children will also gain an understanding of how they can help their communities.

For parents who want to discuss poverty, hunger, and volunteerism further with their children, several books also touch on these subjects:

The Lady in the Box, by Ann McGovern
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
A brother and sister help provide food to a homeless woman. As their mother notices missing pantry items, the family begins to understand the woman’s story and decides to volunteer in a soup kitchen.

Tight Times, by Barbara Shook Hazen
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
Told from a young boy’s view, a family struggles with tight times and a job loss when he finds a hungry kitten in a dumpster.

Uncle Willie and the Soup Kitchen, by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan
Reading Level: Ages 4-8
On his day off from school, a young boy visits his Uncle who works at a soup kitchen.

Arrianna is in third grade at Travis Heights Elementary school. “My favorite subject is science because we get to do experiments,” says Arrianna. At school, Arrianna receives free breakfast and lunch and her favorite things to eat are spaghetti, macaroni and fish sticks. “Sometimes I don’t have any food at home and I feel hungry. I usually eat whatever’s left. I feel bad when I’m hungry,” says Arrianna.

Arrianna lives with her father, stepmother and three siblings. She says her father lost his job and it has been a long time since he has been out of work.

Across Texas, children are starting their first day of school and already children like Arrianna are at a disadvantage before they put pencil to paper.

The recently released 2011 National Kids Count Data Book reveals Texas ranks among the worst states in child well-being with a 35^th place ranking. The study also indicates that one in four Texas children live in poverty – a 9 percent increase since 2000 and 41^st worst in the country. Nearly half of all Texas children live at 200% below poverty (less than $44,700 for a family of four).

Many studies link child poverty with educational achievement gaps exacerbated by poor diet and health. A hungry child doesn’t learn as well, and can be a disruption in the classroom.

Behind a lack of school supplies and discipline, hunger is ranked as the third biggest problem teachers face in the classroom. As a result, teachers are increasingly taking matters into their own hands by adding the role of “hunger relief resource” to their duties. A survey of K-8 public school teachers nationwide by Share Our Strength shows that four in ten teachers are spending an average of $25 per month for extra food in the classroom because their students are coming to school hungry.

However, there are some great programs across the country making great strides to improve child nutrition in the school environment.

Results of pilot programs in the city of Milwaukee, statewide in Maryland and elsewhere show that serving breakfast in class results in less tardiness, less disruptive behavior and fewer visits to the nurse. With the help of the Texas Hunger Initiative, Breakfast In the Classroom (BIC) programs are making their way across Texas.

In Michigan, the Community Eligibility Option pilot program provides free lunch to all students regardless of income, removing any stigma and ensuring school lunch has the same equitable access as the school textbook. We look forward to the results of this four-year study.

Child hunger and poverty needs to be priority, so children like Arrianna can fulfill their potential and have a successful education. Children will have greater chances for academic achievement, graduation, and higher education when they don’t have to worry about their next meal. The investment is needed and the payoff is real.

A recent report titled “The Big Payoff: Educational Attainment and Synthetic Estimates of Work-Life Earnings” (.pdf) reveals that over an adult’s working life, high school graduates can expect, on average, to earn $1.2 million; those with a bachelor’s degree, $2.1 million; and people with a master’s degree, $2.5 million. Persons with doctoral degrees earn an average of $3.4 million during their working life, while those with professional degrees do best at $4.4 million.

“I wish that I was rich so that when we don’t have anything else to eat and we don’t have enough money, then we could buy something…I also wish I had a puppy and another sister,” giggles Arrianna.

We can’t make puppies or little sisters, but we should be able to provide Arrianna with bigger dreams than having enough to eat.

The recently released Travis County Poverty Report confirms what our Food Bank already knew from the surge in clientele – too many Travis County residents do not earn enough to enjoy the most basic standard of living for themselves and their children.

• Almost a quarter (24%) of our Travis County children under age 5 live in poverty.
• 19% of children 5-17 live in poverty.
• Female-headed households with children and no husband present, are most likely to experience poverty (36%)
• A disproportionate number of Hispanic (71%) and Black (17%) children under age 18 live in poverty compared to their non-Hispanic white and Asian counterparts.
• Over one-third (36%) of individuals residing in Austin are low income. (200% of the poverty level)

The federal income poverty guideline for a single adult is $10,890 and $22,350 for a family of four. Households with annual incomes that are under 100% of the poverty guideline are counted as living in poverty or below the poverty level. Households at 200% of poverty are considered low-income.

The federal poverty income guidelines, which provides a baseline for what our society considers to be the funds needed for the most basic, humane existence in America are obsolete.  The methodology behind the guidelines has not evolved to reflect our modern economy and highly competitive global marketplace. Health care, child care, housing, and transportation costs are not the same as they were in the 1960’s when the guidelines were created. In fact, the Center for Public Policy Priorities estimates that in the Austin MSA alone, families need nearly two and a half times the poverty level to make ends meet.  A household income twice the level of poverty is still considered low-income.  This is a major disconnect between public policy and reality, and our children are paying the price in lost opportunities,  lower academic achievement, higher rates of illness, and the devastating effects of hunger.

Click to make larger.

Child poverty causes many hardships—poorer health, lower academic achievement, and higher rates of hunger.  When our children experience these issues, the effects on our workforce, economy, and social services are severe and costly.  Beyond the psychological and physical harms on the innocent child, the ripple effect is a devastating blow to the American economy. The Center for American Progress reported that childhood poverty “costs the national economy $500 billion dollars per year in lost adult productivity and wages, increased crime and higher health expenditures.”

But the Governor and the Wall Street Journal say we’re enjoying a “Lone Star Job Surge”, and relatively low unemployment in comparison to the rest of the nation, so Texas is in better shape, correct?

The reality:  Governor Perry’s claim to unmatched job growth and low unemployment is hardly the full story.  Texas is leading the nation in the wrong types of jobs – minimum wage jobs.  9.5 percent of all workers in Texas are paid at or below minimum wage which is the highest percentage in the nation.  The median hourly earnings in Texas are $11.20 per hour, while the national median is $12.50 per hour.  This type of job creation doesn’t bode well for individuals hoping to land a job that provides a living wage for their families much less long-term prosperity.

We must never forget that the fundamental causes of poverty are structural and not individual.

Children have little choice regarding the situation surrounding them.  Many live with parents who cannot afford to provide for their basic needs.

As we creep out of recession, now is the time to turn our attention toward public programs’ role in softening the recession’s negative impact on our children’s future economic opportunities, health, and general welfare. It is more critical than ever before to ensure CAFB programs such as the Summer Food Service Program, Kids Cafe, and SNAP outreach are supported and continue to grow. Providing consistent and healthy food will help our children prosper, and hopefully reach a future that breaks a cycle of poverty. In the end, they are all OUR children.

Today the full House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the federal appropriations bill, which makes significant cuts to several important nutrition programs, namely WIC (Women, Infants, and Children), TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), and CSFP (Commodity Supplemental Food Program). Money is also proposed to be cut from the SNAP reserve fund, used for unexpected enrollment growth and disasters.

The Capital Area Food Bank benefits from TEFAP, and receives commodities such as potatoes, rice, beans and oatmeal, through the program to distribute to its Partner Agencies. The decrease in TEFAP could have a notable effect on CAFB’s inventory.

Watch Rep. Lloyd Doggett speak in opposition to these cuts.

“I have three little ones and it’s the end of the month for food stamps, so food gets low at this time,” says Melinda of Goldthwaite, Texas. Melinda and her children wait in line at CAFB’s “Wheels of Sharing” Mobile Food Pantry distribution in Goldthwaite.

Melinda has her hands full as a full-time mom to her 9-month-old, 4-year-old and 6-year-old children. To make ends meet, Melinda’s husband in construction. “It’s kind of slow, when it rains he doesn’t work; I think he got a $60 paycheck last week,” she said.

As Melinda picks her selection of fresh produce and pantry staples at the Mobile Food Pantry, she shares her experience: “The selection here is really great. I haven’t really gotten anything I don’t like. When you don’t have nothing, you’re happy with what you get.”

Melinda moved from her hometown of Mullin six years ago, to Goldthwaite, a small city with population of 1,878. The nearest low-cost supermarket is in Brownwood, a 34-mile drive out of town.  “I have to get my groceries here in town, but they’re more expensive than at Walmart, but I can’t afford the gas to go out of town,” she said.

Her family has plans in place for a better financial future. Her husband is studying full-time to become a nurse. “My husband starts his clinicals next year,” says Melinda.  “He’s going to school full-time and he works all day in the sun. He’s worn out. It wouldn’t be worth me working [because] I wouldn’t even make enough to pay for child care. We try to make do with what we have.”

Now that school is out, Melinda worries about feeding the children in her care.  The nearest Summer Food Service Program site where children can access free meals during the summer is also in Brownwood – a drive that Melinda says is too expensive for her to make on a daily basis.

“It’s going to be a lot harder in the summer because I take care of my niece and nephew also. My sister-in-law is a single mom and she’s pregnant again, so I don’t ask for money, but I will have to feed all the kids. It’s three extra kids this summer because my daughter will be home from school, too. It’s just tough,” she says.

Samantha

Samantha is 17 and homeless. “I’m here today to find some food and bring it back to my camp.” Samantha lives with her fiancé, David, and two other friends in a homeless camp in Austin.

“I’ve been homeless for ten weeks. My mother drove me here from San Antonio because my father kicked me out. I didn’t tell her that we had no where to live because I knew she wouldn’t bring me,” says Samantha. She has been in-and-out of foster homes and has been through many difficult family situations.

Samantha has diabetes and is five months pregnant. She says that she always has access to food because of places like Father Joe’s House, a food pantry at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church in South Austin.

She says it’s sometimes difficult to find the nutritious food she needs to control her diabetes and support her baby. “Fresh produce is expensive. I haven’t really had any since I have been here,” says Samantha. “I have to make the choice between a small amount of fresh produce and a cheeseburger. They are the same price but the cheeseburger will fill me up for longer,” she says.

Samantha and her fiancé are working on getting their identification cards in order to apply for jobs. “I hope to work in child-care or be a veterinarian someday. I love animals,” she says. She has not yet finished high school, but hopes to attend a program so she can receive her GED.

“I am nervous about becoming a mom, but I hope to get a job and an apartment within the next few months so that we can better raise our daughter.”

by Kathy Golson, senior director of advocacy and public policy

Congress returns from break this week to take up budget issues. Just prior to that recess, the House passed HCR 34, Chairman Ryan’s budget bill, which makes an 18 percent cut to the SNAP program (previously known as food stamps). One of the proposals under consideration in the House budget has been to convert the SNAP program to a block grant format beginning 2015. This would leave much of the decision making on SNAP to the states, and in a worst-case scenario, would leave it to the governor on how to use the money—meaning it could be used to fund other budget needs.

Watch the interview on FOX 7 :

Sometimes the numbers get a little dizzying – $127 billion in cuts over 10 years. What does it all mean, and how does this really impact my community, and my loved ones? Let’s get the facts.

1. How does the proposed conversion to a block grant change things?

Right now SNAP is an entitlement program, which means that qualified people can access the program at all times. Under this structure, the program responds to economic conditions. When there’s a recession and unemployment goes up, SNAP enrollment goes up, or when there’s a natural disaster, SNAP responds. Conversely, when times are good, SNAP enrollment goes down. Currently, 43 million people are receiving SNAP benefits; that’s 1 in 7 Americans. Under a block grant, it will be up to state and local governments to figure out how to make SNAP respond to need. Texas’s track record with SNAP enrollment and timeliness hasn’t been so stellar, and with looming budget cuts to the Health and Human Services department, (HHSC – who administer the SNAP program in Texas) piling on additional bureaucracy and administration would reverse the improvements they’ve recently made.

Additionally, under a block grant, Governor Perry could decide to shift funds away from food assistance and use it for other things, like say, that gaping hole in the Texas budget. How’s that for temptation?

2. Will SNAP be unavailable then to families that would have qualified before, or will SNAP eligible people get less benefits?

It could go either way or even a combination of both. Below are two scenarios on how SNAP could impact Central Texas families and the Food Bank’s ability to provide a hunger safety net.

Scenario 1 – SNAP eligibility is reduced.

We looked at the most recent data available at the HHSC website, March 2011 SNAP enrollment data for our 21 county service territory. Nearly $36 million in benefits were provided to more than 120 thousand households (called cases). The average SNAP benefit provided per case is $299. The Ryan cut would amount to about $6.4 million in reduced benefits affecting more than 21,000 households left to either fend for themselves or turn to CAFB and partners to get food each month. Yes monthly.

To provide some context, CAFB serves about 48,000 people each week. The average SNAP case provides emergency food for about 2.39 people. Imagine what a surge in 21,446 households each month would mean for our organization?

Scenario 2 – SNAP benefits are reduced

When benefits are reduced, meals go missing, or will need to be replaced by an alternate source such as the Food Bank. How many meals will be missed by the cuts?

Feeding America recently developed estimates for the average cost of a meal for different states as part of their Map the Meal Gap calculator. In Texas, an average meal costs about $2.36. We then determined how many meals could be provided with SNAP benefits, and how many meals families would lose due to the 18 percent proposed cuts. If the Ryan cuts were in place, those 120,000 SNAP households in our service territory would need to find a new source for 23 meals (or $53.82) each month if this legislation is approved.

Under any scenario, these cuts could devastate families’ abilities to properly feed and nourish themselves, create a new surge at food pantries and soup kitchens already struggling to provide nourishment to their existing clientele, and tax an ill-equipped and under funded state agency to respond to the need. Multiply that scenario by ten years and it’s a recipe for hunger and malnourishment in Central Texas.

Call your congressperson today.