Fighting Teen Hunger

    At 16, Ivery Winters Jr. knows what it’s like to go to bed hungry. When he was in elementary school, his mom lost her job at Family Dollar. She and Ivery’s dad made sure there was money for field trips. They bought Ivery sneakers so he could still play basketball. 

    But keeping enough food in the house was a struggle. Sometimes, there was nothing but beans and juice to last a whole day. 

    Ivery had ways to make sure he got enough. He’d eat as much as he could at school. He’d swallow his pride and ask friends for food. He knew other kids had it easier than he did. But he didn’t like to talk about it. “I never told anybody,” he says. “I kept it to myself.”

    Ivery Winters Jr. is 16. He knows how it feels to go to bed hungry. When he was a kid, his mom lost her job. She and Ivery’s dad still had some money. They paid for Ivery to go on field trips. They bought him sneakers so he could play basketball. 

    But they didn’t always have enough food. Sometimes they had only beans and juice. And that had to last all day.

    Ivery found ways to get enough to eat. He’d eat as much as he could at school. He’d swallow his pride and ask friends for food. He knew other kids had more than he did. But he didn’t talk about being hungry. “I kept it to myself,” he says.

    Ivery Winters Jr., 16, knows what it’s like to go to bed hungry. When he was in elementary school, his mother lost her job at Family Dollar. She and Ivery’s father made sure there was money for field trips. They also bought Ivery sneakers so that he could keep playing basketball. 

    But buying enough food for the family was a struggle. Sometimes, there was nothing in the house but beans and juice—and that had to last a whole day. 

    Ivery found ways to make sure he got enough food: He’d eat as much as possible at school, and he’d swallow his pride and ask friends for food. He knew other kids had it easier than he did, but he didn’t like to talk about it. “I never told anybody,” he recalls. “I kept it to myself.”

    For Ivery, hunger felt like a private struggle. But he is far from alone. At least 35 million Americans live with food insecurity. About 11 million of them are kids age 18 or younger. That number grew during the Covid-19 pandemic, when millions of people lost their jobs.

    For teens, hunger is a special burden. They often feel responsible for their family’s struggles. And that can be a big problem, says Susan Popkin. She studies teens and hunger. “They’ll go without food so their brothers or sisters can eat,” Popkin says. “They sell candy or mow people’s lawns. Sometimes they’ll do risky things—steal chips from the lunch room or food from the store.”

    Ivery might have felt alone. But he wasn’t. Hunger is a big problem. It affects many people. At least 35 million Americans live with food insecurity. About 11 million of them are 18 or younger. That number grew during the Covid-19 pandemic. That’s because many people lost their jobs. 

    For teens, hunger is a special burden. Many teens feel responsible for their family. Susan Popkin studies teens and hunger. She says teens go without food so their brothers or sisters can eat. They sell candy or mow people’s lawns for money. Sometimes they even steal. They take chips from the lunch room. They take food from a store.

    For Ivery, hunger felt like a private struggle, but he is far from alone. At least 35 million Americans live with food insecurity, and about 11 million of them are kids age 18 or younger. That number grew when millions lost their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Hunger is a special burden for teens, who often feel responsible for their family’s struggles. That can be a big problem, says Susan Popkin, who studies teens and hunger. “They’ll go without food so their brothers or sisters can eat,” Popkin explains. “They sell candy or mow people’s lawns. Sometimes they’ll do risky things—steal chips from the lunch room or food from the store.”

    Like Ivery, most kids try to hide their worries about food. They fear they’ll get bullied—and often they’re right. “There’s a kid at school now who doesn’t have what other people have,” Ivery says. “I feel bad for him. People make fun of him ’cause they might not know what it’s like.”

    Bullying and other pressures can make it hard to focus on school. So can hunger. And working a part-time job to help your family buy food leaves less time for homework. 

    Problems in school often lead to bigger problems in life. Many kids drop out before they graduate. Chances are they won’t go to college. That can mean low-paying jobs for years to come. “Hunger has serious long-term effects,” says Popkin. “We shouldn’t be putting kids in that position.”

    Ivery hid his hunger. Many other kids do too. They don’t share their problems. They think they’ll get bullied. Often, they’re right. “There’s a kid at school now who doesn’t have what other people have,” Ivery says. “I feel bad for him. People make fun of him.”

    Being bullied can make it hard to focus on school. Being hungry can too. And some teens get part-time jobs to help their families buy food. That leaves less time for homework.

    Hungry teens often have problems in school. That can lead to other problems. Many kids drop out. They don’t go to college. Often, they don’t earn much money.

    Like Ivery, most kids try to keep their worries about food a secret. They fear they’ll get bullied—and often they’re right. “There’s a kid at school now who doesn’t have what other people have,” Ivery says. “I feel bad for him. People make fun of him ’cause they might not know what it’s like.”

    Bullying and other pressures can make it difficult to focus on school. So can hunger. And working a part-time job to help your family buy food leaves less time for homework. 

    Problems in school often lead to bigger problems later in life. Many kids drop out before they graduate, and chances are they won’t go to college. Without a college degree, they’re on track for low-paying jobs for years to come. “Hunger has serious long-term effects,” says Popkin. “We shouldn’t be putting kids in that position.”

    How can teens deal with food insecurity? Popkin says they shouldn’t feel ashamed. Instead, they should reach out for help. 

    Schools offer free lunch to students who need it. A program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) gives cards to low-income families. They can use the cards to buy food. When that money runs out, local food banks step in. These food banks hand out food to needy families.

    That’s a job that Ivery has taken on in his community in Chicago. In the summer, he worked with a local group called Metropolitan Family Services. They gave out backpacks full of food. “I just loved to see the smile on people’s faces,” he says. “That’s what it’s about, making people happy.”

    Ivery’s pretty happy too. He’s working hard at school and wants to be a lawyer. He has a job at a fast-food restaurant. He can buy a burger when he wants one. He can buy his own pants or a hoodie so his parents don’t have to. 

    For now, he doesn’t have to worry about going to bed hungry. But he remembers what it felt like. “I just thank God for not having to do that anymore,” he says. 

    How can teens deal with food insecurity? Popkin says they shouldn’t feel ashamed and should reach out for help. 

    Living with hunger is hard. But help is out there. 

    Schools offer free lunch to students who need it. And there’s a program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). It gives cards to low-income families. They can use the cards to buy food. There are food banks too. They give food to those in need.

    Ivery has helped with that. He lives in Chicago. In the summer, he worked with a group there. They gave out backpacks full of food. “I just loved to see the smile on people’s faces,” he says. “That’s what it’s about, making people happy.”

    Ivery is happy too. He works hard at school. He wants to be a lawyer. He has a job. These days, he doesn’t go to bed hungry. But he remembers how it felt. “I just thank God for not having to do that anymore,” he says. 

    How can teens deal with food insecurity? Popkin says they shouldn’t feel ashamed and should reach out for help. 

    Schools offer free lunch to students who need it. A program called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) gives cards to low-income families that they can use to purchase food. When that money runs out, they can turn to local food banks, which hand out food to needy families.

    That’s a job that Ivery has taken on in his community in Chicago. In the summer, he worked with a local group called Metropolitan Family Services. They gave out backpacks full of food. “I just loved to see the smile on people’s faces,” he says. “That’s what it’s about, making people happy.”

    Ivery’s pretty happy too. He’s working hard at school, plans on becoming a lawyer, and currently has a job at a fast-food restaurant. He can buy a burger whenever he wants one. He can buy his own pants or a hoodie so his parents don’t have to. 

    For now, Ivery doesn’t have to worry about going to bed hungry. But he hasn’t forgotten what it felt like. “I just thank God for not having to do that anymore,” he says. •