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Hunger Is Not A Game

BBYO issue summit in Detroit

focuses on hunger advocacy.

Jacob Nitzkin

Teen2Teen Writer

D

ear President Obama,
I am not part of the statistics. I
am not stricken by hunger, I don't
know the fear of not knowing where my next
meal is coming from.
I am food secure. In my young life, I have
experienced plentiful food without worry. I
used to think three meals a day was a fun-
damental human right enjoyed by everyone,
just as it was for me.
But now, I understand that one out of six
people live with hunger. I am determined
to be one of the many fighting back. I have
learned that while some of those who are
suffering are identifiable, many are living
amongst us every day invisibly.
The invisible people may be friends that
live in nice suburban areas but are just barely
scraping by on the SNAP food stamps pro-
gram. They are co-workers forced to choose
whether they will eat dinner or pay forgas
for their car. They are family members that
wouldn't be able to support themselves if
schools weren't feeding their children free
lunches. Hunger is a nationwide epidemic,
and it needs to end."

That was a letter I wrote on a paper plate
as part of BBYO's "Hunger is Not a Game: A
Teen Issue Summit on Hunger Awareness
and Advocacy:' Last fall, nearly 80 Jewish
teen leaders from across North America
congregated in Downtown Detroit to tackle
local hunger and to learn how to advocate
against it in their own hometowns.
The Summit began with simulations and
exercises that put participants in the shoes,
stomachs and mindsets of those who are
hungry and food insecure.
The first exercise was a simulation,
in partnership with United Way of
Southeastern Michigan, aimed at modeling
the life of someone living in poverty and the
challenges they face daily. We were assigned
identities with certain income levels and
told to live for a month without running out
of money. We were forced to grapple with
vital questions such as where to work, what
to buy at the grocery store and how to use
our limited financial resources.
As a group, we found it incredibly hard
to choose between heating our home and
attending our mother's funeral in another
state, even though they were hypothetical.
While we find it morally wrong, some of us
were forced to let our pets suffer because
we couldn't afford to put them to sleep, let
alone pay for medication.
The pain and stress experienced by those
living with these choices made a huge

At Yad Ezra, Jacob Nitzkin checks a

can to see if it's kosher or not.

impact on us all. It broke our hearts but
inspired us to take action against it at the
same time.

Hands On Service
After more similar exercises, participants
were split into three groups for direct ser-
vice. My group volunteered at Yad Ezra in
Berkley, while others dispersed to Gleaners
Community Food Bank of Southeastern
Michigan in Detroit and Forgotten Harvest
in Oak Park. Collectively, BBYO donated
approximately 400 pounds of food, and
sorted and packaged more than 20,000
pounds to distribute to those in need.
Working at these food banks reinforced
the idea that hunger is a local problem.
While sorting donated food into kosher and
non-kosher, I realized the food might go
to a family I know. Someone I talk to every
day might walk into Yad Ezra and pick
up their meals for the month, just as they
have for months and months before. I felt
empowered — by sorting this food, I was
making a direct impact in my community.
As a young leader in Metro Detroit, the
Hunger is Not a Game simulation opened
my eyes to the many programs and agencies
that work daily to soften the path of those
that are hungry and living in poverty.
From Yad Ezra to Hebrew Free Loan
and Jewish Family Service, our community
works diligently and creatively to meet the
varying needs of those among us who are
suffering, and strives to return them to a life
of health, happiness and security.
I am proud to be part of this supportive
Jewish community, and I am proud to be
one of many fighting hunger.

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❑

Jacob Nitzkin, Farmington Hills, is a North

Farmington High School junior.