Anna Ryneer cannot understand how the citizens of one country can develop problems with porky children while those in another literally starve to death.
“How can so many people be starving and yet in the United States we’re fighting obesity?” pondered Ryneer, who recently wrote a paper about the problems the Caribbean nation of Haiti faces with feeding its people. The paper won Ryneer a spot at the World Food Prize Youth Institute held Oct. 19-21 in Des Moines.
Ryneer became interested in hunger issues while living with her family in South America. Her father worked for a gold mining company.
“I would see the poverty out there, kids younger than me out on the street. I’d ask my parents, ‘Can’t we help them? Can we bring them home to dinner?’”
Ryneer believes everyone, even high school students, should do what they can to stop world hunger.
I agree wholeheartedly with this teenager. I think we all need to take a step back when we see that this high-school student seems to have her head on straighter than most full-grown adults. I especially agree with her point when she juxtapositions the obesity epidemic with the hunger epidemic. Unfortunately, the hunger epidemic isn’t isolated to the “third-world.” 14 million children in the U.S. live in food insecure households.
What do you think?
That is a very good point. I have never compared America’s obesity problem with other countries’ hunger problems. It is very difficult for kids today to really have an impact on anything like this, since adults just look down on us as “immature”. I think Anna did a very good job to help promote awareness of the starving people in this world. It shows that we, as kids, can do something. It’s a story of inspiration for others.
Yeah, right. Do you think most Americans care? I have pleaded with many Americans, from so-called Christians to the Democrats to Oprah, to help ONE person who is homeless. I am not American but he is. Does America even care about its own? I have seen nothing but Americans turning stone cold when being asked to help one person, one American, for help. I will continue to do what I can to help this person from the other side of the ocean because I have some humanity left in me and I because I can see the American dream is a lie.
Giving Back is a grassroots organization in the Baltimore Maryland area. We are a non-profit that is 100 % volunteer.
Over the past three years, Giving Back has developed a program to provide backpacks, coats and boots to the people directly on the streets of Baltimore. Each backpack will include sweats (top and bottom), thermal underwear (top and bottom), a hat, warm gloves, and a warm pair of socks. Last year we distributed over 700 of these backpacks, and sadly, there was not enough. We are looking for organizations/neighborhoods/individuals to help us fill these backpacks for the 2006 drive. Giving Back will purchase the backpack, and provide them to groups willing to collect the materials to fill and return them. We have over 20 schools and churches/synagogues doing drives in this manner. We could easily double that number! We have volunteers that will speak to your group, and help you organize and manage your drive.
Please contact us if you can help!
Giving Back, Inc.
http://www.homelessdrive.com
For more information, contact Ellen Kinsella (publicity) at Elliekins@aol.com, or Steve Anstett (director) at homelessdrive@usa.com or 410-295-0889