This guest post is authored by Kelly Runzel, Director of Corporate Partnerships at Feed the Children. 

We all have experienced those little grumbles in our stomach that have affected our moods.  Perhaps those grumbles made us a bit “hangry.” Usually, we remedy this problem by simply grabbing a quick bite.

But “grabbing a quick bite” is not an option for many families in this country. According to Food Security Status of US Households with Children Report of 2015 by the USDA, 16.6% of our households are food insecure; of that, approximately 6.4 million children live in food-insecure households. It may not sound like a lot when you hear the number 16.6%, but you have to remember that this is a national average. That average is hiding areas in our country that have very high rates of poverty and food insecurity amongst its households.

This becomes not only a health problem, but also a community concern. Symptoms of hunger can lead to aggression and violence. The American Psychological Association states that children who are hungry exhibit 7 to 12 times as many symptoms of conduct disorders, which can include fighting, breaking rules, stealing, etc. While this behavior can lead to breakdowns in our educational system and community, it can easily be solved by sharing some of our country’s abundant resources.

Feed the Children is an organization that has a mission to provide hope and resources for those without life’s essentials. Last year, we were able to provide food and essentials to over 5.8 million people across the globe. Our work goes beyond just feeding people. In order to meet our mission we need to lift communities and people out of poverty completely, which is why we also focus on education, livelihood development, clean water, health and disaster recovery.

In partnership with The Junior League, we are making efforts to help stop these problems from occurring by providing food and essentials to even more children and families in need. As the holiday season approaches, we encourage Leagues and their local community partners to help assess the food-insecurity issues facing your community and take a stand to help stop the “hangries.”

For more information on how you can help, please contact me or my colleague at kelly.runzel@feedthechildren.org or rhonda.watson@feedthechildren.org