My name is Abigail Mo. I am working to bring awareness of people outside our society who aren’t as fortunate as us? Do you know that one of the biggest issues that you don’t learn about in school-is homelessness and food shortages? Some may agree, these nuance stresses are an effect from the Covid pandemic. The pandemic officially started in 2019. The approximate number of Americans who struggled to cope with money and resources was 552,830 people before the pandemic.
Fast forward to 2022 in the US, and 582,462 Americans were experiencing homelessness. There is an undeniable amount of people who, even now, are suffering because of the pandemic. When the virus struck, businesses had low amounts of profit and families were evicted, struggling to feed themselves and their loved ones.
Over 40% of Americans (approximately 1.4 million) claim they struggle to make ends meet every month, and according to a late poll in 2023, 18% of America are experiencing homelessness. How would you feel, if you couldn’t supply food for the ones you care about? You have the tool of technology-to raise awareness. We are quite fortunate, and we should appreciate it. However, we should also think about those who are not as lucky. No one, not you, not me, should have to worry where and if they will have their next meal. Imagine a world where EVERYONE could have a job, and NO ONE would have to question where their next meal was coming from. Of course, an 11 year old like me can’t change this, but together, we can make a difference. `
Think about this: A sharing closet. We transformed a teachers lounge into a student lounge, a successful trademark of our school. This has the same concept. A room that gives the child who enters a feeling of privacy, and without shame or embarrassment. There, inside would lie a closet where kids could donate necessities; such as coats, clothing, canned food that’s easy to prepare, and unwanted, but still useful tools. Kids who needed said stuff would enter between the hours before school, after school, and during their lunch period. They would go into the secluded space and take what they needed.
Additionally, food drives can make a massive positive impact on reversing food shortages. As a regular person, I’ve seen the people around me donate to people we can’t see face to face, but are there. Food drives, canned goods, dried produce, jackets, this is stuff that might come easily for you, but it matters to them. Who is “them”? The people you see asking for money, and the people struggling. I remember when I was younger, driving through Manhattan with my eyes stretching over the city. I saw people lining up all around the block, stretching from one store to one 8 blocks down for a box of food and resources. I saw people sleeping on the sidewalks, lying only on a towel in 10 degrees Fahrenheit. I’ve seen people, carrying signs with words like- “Please donate, I have a family of 5 and cannot feed them” “Please donate what you can spare, no matter how insignificant it may seem”
The Great Depression was a long time ago and that time period brought upon homelessness and food shortages. Some may agree post-COVID effects are comparable to the depression, where in recent years, America has reached the highest and closest levels of homelessness since that time. As of September 2023, 87,907 people in New York are homeless, including 31,510 children, sleeping every night in shelters. (Info from Coalition for The Homeless-Basic Facts About Homelessness) According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 17 Million people were food insecure during the pandemic.
To conclude, I hope this information will encourage you to raise awareness for one of the biggest issues in our society. After all, we are all human. What is different between us and them? No one should have to worry if they will have a next meal.