Hunger: An invisible scourge
Project Bread, a nonprofit that is active in working to end hunger, recently issued a status report on hunger in Massachusetts. It found that in 35 cities and towns in the Commonwealth, hunger was a serious problem, with many more people going hungry than in the state as a whole. In our region, Brockton and Quincy were designated as cities where hunger is prevalent.
That fact is disturbing enough, but what is more troubling is this: In cities such as Brockton and Quincy, the hunger level is twice what it was three years ago, when the last status report was issued.
Project Bread estimates that as many as 18 percent of residents there may suffer from hunger and that 32 percent of households in those communities are unable to afford adequate food. Statewide, approximately 175,000 households are considered at risk for hunger.
None of this surprises any of the dedicated citizens throughout the Commonwealth who run food pantries.
Stocks of foodstuffs are falling dangerously low, and it is always a challenge to meet the needs of the ever-growing number of people in need. Contributions from food chains and generous supporters keep these pantries in business, but there is only so much that can be done.
In this country of plenty, hunger should not exist, much less be on the increase. And yet what we are seeing in urban centers such as Brockton and Quincy is a growing underclass that does not enjoy the prosperity that so many of us take for granted.
Hunger brings with it other problems. People unsure of where their next meal will come from are also susceptible to chronic medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes. In children, hunger often appears with learning disabilities and underachievement. When those who experience hunger do eat, it usually is an unhealthy meal high in fat content, which contributes to other problems.
Project Bread has called for a statewide campaign to end hunger in Massachusetts. In addition to their annual walk for hunger, there is now a renewed emphasis on a comprehensive solution, one that would make school breakfasts a regular feature in urban schools, provide hunger screening at neighborhood health centers, develop partnerships with supermarkets to promote healthy food choices for those families using food stamps, and -- perhaps most important -- nudge communities to place more emphasis on collecting and distributing food to those in need.
Hunger is easy to ignore. It is not easily detectable. We can see the homeless sleeping in a doorway or walking aimlessly around town, but it is difficult to pick out the person who hasn't had a nutritious meal in a long time, or the student who sits in class and goes through the motions of learning.
But walk into any food pantry and you will find "business" booming as volunteers struggle to give long lines of people what they need to fill their stomachs.
Hats off to Project Bread for alerting us to this injustice in our society, and a grateful thanks to the many volunteers at the food pantries who wage the good fight every day to feed the hungry.
Let's hope the next Project Bread status report survey finds a decrease in the numbers of those at risk. We can all consider that a goal for the new year.
Michael Kryzanek of Whitman is professor of political science at Bridgewater State College. He can be reached at mkryzanek@bridgew.edu. 
