Feed the Hungry
What's Left for Food?
Worksheet Instructions
Meeting Activity

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,  in 2010, 50 million people lived in food insecure households. Of these 50 million, 17 million are children.

The Food and Research Action Center, defines hunger as the uneasy sensation or painful sensation caused by lack of food. Food insecurity refers to the lack of access to enough food to meet basic needs at all times due to lack of financial resources.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that the 2009 poverty threshold for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, DC for a family of three to be $18,310 and for a family of four, $22,050.

The purpose of the worksheet is to give children a clear idea of what it costs to feed a family who is living at the poverty line or threshold.

If only one person in the family works full time (40 hours) and earns the minimum wage ($6.55 per hour as of July 2008) the weekly salary will amount to $262. Multiply that by 50 weeks and the total gross annual family income is $13,100. That is $5,210 less than what the U.S. government considers the poverty threshold for a family of three!

Distribute the Hunger in America -- Facts for Kids sheet to initiate discussion on who is at risk of being hungry in America and why.

For more facts on hunger in America to help your club understand the issue, check out:

Share Our Strength  

Feeding America, (formerly America's Second Harvest)

What's Left for Food? Worksheet

The What's Left For Food? Worksheet (see below or on right side bar of Feed the Hungry page under Club Activities) will help your club members understand how hard it may be for some families in your community to put enough food on the table.

Materials Needed

What's Left for Food? Worksheet

Classified real estate ads from your local newspaper
Supermarket flyers
Pencils
Calculators - optional

Steps Involved

1. Bring copies of the classified real estate section of your local newspaper and local supermarket flyers to your meeting.
2. Decide what numbers you will work with. The minimum wage or the U.S. government's figure for the poverty threshold income for families.
3. Break children into 4 groups to work together. The worksheet assigns the minimum wage annual income or the poverty threshold income.  Each one of the groups will work on a different size family and income.
4. Distribute the What's Left For Food? Worksheet.
5. Distribute copies of the classified real estate section.  Show the children how to look up apartments for rent. 
6. Explain utilities -- gas, electricity, oil. Are they included in the rent?
7. Assume your family uses public transportation.  Figure out a monthly rate.
8. Discuss the cost of child care for working parents.
9. Discuss the line for clothing.  Ask the kids if they know how much the clothing that the kids are wearing costs. 
10. Remind the kids that this worksheet does not include: medicine, insurance, telephone charges, haircuts, Internet or cable charges.
11. If the families have very little money for food, discuss where families can go to get help.
12. What can your club do to help families that are hungry or food insecure?