A Misguided View of Food Banks

To the Editor:

Mark Winne’s disregard for the necessary and significant role that America’s Second Harvest and food banks play in fighting domestic hunger is misguided (“Food Banks Alone Cannot Solve Hunger,” My View, April 3).

Instead of mustering his energy to criticize the work of food banks, he should be railing against the economy, underfunded federal nutrition programs, and low wages and unemployment — all factors that cause people to live on the brink of hunger.

America’s Second Harvest and food banks nationwide are among the most active advocates in promoting social change and public policies that help alleviate challenges faced by low-income Americans. Members of Congress and state elected officials commonly turn to America’s Second Harvest and our food banks for expert testimonials and policy guidance on these critical issues.

Examining the causes of poverty is noble, worthwhile, and important, but in the meantime, we must feed people who are hungry. It’s all well and good to tell a mom with three kids desperate to provide her children with food that she should go to college, get a job that pays more than minimum wage, and apply for food stamps, but that doesn’t address her immediate problem: hungry kids who need dinner. It also doesn’t address our society’s ongoing issue: that hungry children have difficulty learning and hungry adults have difficulty earning money.

Vicki Escarra
President and Chief Executive
America’s Second Harvest — the Nation’s Food Bank Network
Chicago