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Many Americans lost their secure income as a result of the corona pandemic. Millions of people depend on donations and aid to at least get enough food.
By Jule Käppel, ARD-Studio Washington
A full plastic bag makes José Fuente smile. Fortunately, he got vegetables and other foods from Martha’s Table and is very grateful.
The nonprofit organization has been delivering food to those in need in the United States capital, Washington DC, for some 40 years, but never before have so many relied on this help. People like José, 50, a thin Latino. He worked as a translator and as a gardener. Then came the pandemic. The crisis in the crown hit him hard. He became unemployed and comes here, as often as possible, he says.
50 million don’t have enough to eat
Like Fuente, four out of ten Americans were on a blackboard for the first time this year. That’s what the national organization “Feeding America” calculated. She estimates that 50 million people in the United States did not have enough to eat in 2020. Before the pandemic, it was 35 million. And: hunger has reached the middle class.
Many people who buy food are from next door, says Antoine, one of the helpers. They are not homeless, but simply people in need. With backpacks and shopping carts, women and men, mostly Hispanic, line up, trembling. Beneath a white tent in the driveway is a table with bananas, canned food, and bags of bagel. Two coffees, but it runs out fast.
Many lack financial reserves
Paulina doesn’t get what she wanted either. The muesli is already finished, says Assistant Tolu under her yellow cap. There are cookies for that. The 67-year-old Latina takes it. She had cleaned two houses. With that she just managed. He didn’t have to come anymore, they finally told him. It is difficult because you have to pay the rent and the bills.
Many Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. Without reservation, it hit the crown and then the hunger crisis. Black and Latino families have been the most affected, both health and economic.
In schools, their children could get a cheap breakfast or even a free lunch. Then the schools closed and there was very little to eat at home.
The state awarded a one-time $ 1,200 grant in the spring. The US Congress just approved a second aid package, but it is met with resistance from US President Donald Trump. Until the money flows, millions of people still need food donations before Christmas. They come from supermarkets, restaurants or individuals.
The hunger crisis will likely last for months
There is a replenishment. Little Conny Zander arrived in the car and handed out peanut butter cheese sandwiches. For 100 people. They must stand together as a community, support each other in times of need, says Conny. She is in a position to help, so she is.
The hunger crisis in the United States will continue next year. The Tafel Feeding America organization warns that eight billion meals will be missing in the coming months. José with his shopping bag is optimistic about the future and has no doubts about the return of the United States. After all, the country is strong.
