Hunger/Homlessness

Hunger
Student Name
Institutional Affiliation
Hunger
Alejandra: I don’t think it is a good idea to help the homeless man staying at Interstate 10 on the frontage road. He looks healthy enough to start searching for a job and earn a living.
Jerome: I completely disagree with you. Do you know that hunger is among the main issues affecting a large population in the U.S. and other countries? (Riches, 2016). The man requires assistance from others in which the assistance does not necessarily have to involve money. We may give him some of our food commodities to reduce his hunger.
Alejandra: That is an interesting issue. What do you think is the most beneficial? Monetary aid or food aid?
Jerome: The provision of food aid has played a significant role in decreasing mortality rates in various countries especially in the third world countries. Also, providing the suffering with financial aid may result in problems in the economy; problems such as an increase in food prices as a result of cash transfers and hence affecting the individuals not receiving food aid. The provision of money can also be problematic especially for women and orphans who may experience challenges in handling money. The provision of food aid ensures that all groups receive food and hence exhibit fewer problems. (Harvey et al., 2010).
Alejandra: Is it not logical to think of the presence of food aid affecting the local farmers whereby the presence of food aid may force the farmers to decrease the prices of their commodities and thus experiencing losses.

Jerome: That might be true. However, food aid is less likely to be abused when compared to money concerning corruption. The idea is that food commodities cannot be exchanged for items such as beers or other commodities which are not beneficial regarding nutrition. The presence of money is also not useful when there is no food to consume (Harvey et al., 2010). Therefore, the provision of food aid can be viewed as more effective in managing the hunger problem affecting many people from a global perspective when compared to monetary aid. The logic is that people suffering from hunger are in need of food rather than money. Therefore, providing food to the hungry is more significant especially in areas where accessing food and adequate nutrition is a problem.Alejandra: Are there organizations that handle such cases?
Jerome: Yes, there are organizations that play significant roles in alleviating hunger in the U.S. A good example is the “Feeding America” organization that collaborates with food banks throughout the country to deal with national hunger. The organization mostly focuses on child hunger whereby it provides meal programs to all including during summer (Feeding America, 2018). Other people may assist in the cause by donating to the food banks which are found in most towns and cities.
References
Feeding America. (2018). Feeding America. Feeding America.org. Retrieved from http://www.feedingamerica.org/.
Harvey, P., Proudlock, K., Clay, E., Riley, B. & Jaspars, S. (2010). Food aid and food assistance in emergency and transitional contexts: A review of current thinking. Humanitarian Policy Group. Retrieved from https://www.odi.org/sites/odi.org.uk/files/odi-assets/publications-opinion-files/6036.pdf.
Riches, G. (Ed.). (2016). First world hunger: Food security and welfare politics. New York: Springer.