Throughout the movie, many food insecurities were mentioned. Some of the most notable ones was when people in need got turned away from food stamps because they were over the limit by a couple dollars, or when they did not make enough money to feed themselves and their kids. Many of these individuals coped with their situations by asking friends for food, going to churches for meals, or trying to make the limited food that they had stretch for the weeks to come. Some of these people were successful for a short period of time, but in the long run it did not help. There is only so much people can do to help, and there is only so far food will last even if you try and stretch it. They might have been good for breakfast that day, but what about breakfast the next day or even the following week.
Certain people in our country are more at risk than others due to demographics. Low income, elderly, single parents, and children are mostly at risk. Farmers, “Mom and Pop” shops, and people living in food deserts are also at risk because little famers don’t get enough support like the big companies do, so they are forced to close down or raise their prices just to make a profit. The big farming companies subsidized processed food like wheat and corn instead of fruit and vegetables since it is cheaper and the quantity being produced is higher. Little “mom and pop” shops do not get supplied fruit and vegetables due to the big company trucks carrying the products not stopping in their towns. The truck does not want to go down side roads to get to a little town and have to pay for that detour gas when they can just go to big markets like Walmart. People who live in little towns that do not get access to fresh fruits and vegetables are living in food deserts and are at risk because they do not get the right nutrition and balance of diet that they need. The Great Depression has influenced the agriculture business to this day.
After watching this video it made me realize how lucky I am for the food that I am supplied with everyday. Seeing all those people and their struggles made me sad and kind of outraged at their government for turning away people for food stamps because they were 2 dollars over the annual income amount to qualify for food stamps. The government said they would help the children who are hungry by providing school lunches, but the money for that came out of food stamps. They just cut food stamps and gave it to the kids in need, yet the upper class would not let any money be cut from them. Watching this video personally made me very emotionally upset and I was shocked by how many people were truly hungry. I knew that hunger was a big issue, but I did not think it was so predominant in a country with such a big food supply. It was shocking and sad to see how many people are hungry but did not receive help in fixing this issue.
In order to make a difference with this situation, I’d volunteer at food banks and try and raise my own money to support the people in need. I would support local farmers instead of big companies so that they can supply the town with fresh fruit and vegetables needed to maintain proper nutrition. I’d try and raise money and give it directly to families in need to buy proper food to support themselves, and I’d raise awareness about hunger. A lot of people are hungry but do not talk about it, so we could be their voice and speak out for them. Lend a helping hand and maybe buy more food than you need and give the extra bag to someone who is hungry and needs to eat.
One thought on “A Place at the Table Video Response”
Fantastic work, Victoria!