It is the season of giving. Every year the holidays bring an abundance of generosity. We talk about toy drives, food drives, and free turkeys.
A conversation we should be having is how to ensure our neighbors aren’t poor. We should be asking questions about why when there is more food distribution than ever before the need continues to grow.
For many decades we have been living a lie about solving hunger in America. We have been told that giving food to those living in poverty will fill their needs and end hunger. We are told the answer is simple if people are hungry we give them food. Nothing could be further from the truth. We have been throwing food at the long standing food security crisis for over 40 years.
It’s not working.
If we have a conversation about why people are hungry the answer becomes much more complex. There is no easy fix that a canned food drive will solve.
The only way to long term food security for all is assurance that people can earn an adequate income. To make a lasting change instead of a temporary hand-out will require a collective courage to confront the multitude of roots to poverty. It will take more than a season of giving. And it will not happen until we begin to have the conversation.
I am Dan Kenney and that is my perspective.
