I lived in a neighborhood in Metro Detroit where poverty is part of everyday life. And I’ve realized the ones who feel it the most are the kids.
I know everyone’s worried about the economy. But let’s be honest—most of us have never had to send our kids to bed hungry.
We’ve never had to say, “There’s no dinner tonight.” We’ve never had to send them to school hungry, counting down the minutes until they can walk through the lunch line for a free meal.
I’m grateful for the free and reduced lunch program. Truly.
But it’s not enough. And what happens in the summer or during school breaks? Hunger doesn’t take a vacation.
So whose responsibility is it to make sure these children don’t spend their childhoods with empty stomachs in a country that has more than enough?
Even in tough times, there is still enough to share.
At the elementary school in my neighborhood—where over 75% of students qualify for free lunch—I started a simple Friday food distribution. That’s a lot of kids relying on school meals to get through the day.
Every Friday, I drive to the food bank, pick up 70–100 bags of groceries, and bring them to the school. We pass them out after class. Each bag has enough for one child to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner all weekend long.
When I started, I didn’t fully grasp how deep the need was. But week after week, the stories make it clear.
Like the time we handed out backpacks filled with school supplies and snacks. Two little girls came up and said they didn’t want the backpacks—they just wanted the grocery bags. Food mattered more than anything else in that moment.
Or the day a teacher told me her student was excited for Friday because it meant she’d finally have food at home again.
Those are just two stories among many.
The need can feel overwhelming.
And it is—for one person.
But it doesn’t have to be for all of us together.
So here’s my simple ask: when you sit down to dinner tonight, think about the kids who won’t. If you’re able, support a local food pantry, donate to a school backpack program, volunteer to pack bags, or share this post so others can help too.
I asked earlier: whose responsibility is it to make sure children have something as basic as food?
I believe it’s mine.
It’s yours.
It’s all of ours.
No child should grow up in a world where hunger speaks louder than hope. Let’s be the ones who turn up the volume on hope.
Please check out the Tyson Foods site to see all of the different opportunities for getting involved!
