When Children Hoard

Posted by Lane Cardwell on Thursday, September 23, 2010

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When Children Hoard It seems that no subject is off limits to reality TV these days.

Case in point: A&E has a show called “Hoarders” featuring adults with the inability to part with their possessions and the troubles it causes in their lives. The camera shows homes filled to the brim with possessions stacked on every conceivable surface. Each episode shows the impact of having “too much.”

There is a different hoarding phenomenon that occurs with children who have too little. Too little food, that is. When a child deals with ongoing food shortages in the home, or never knowing when their next meal might be, they hoard food. It is a practical reaction to a sad problem: being hungry for long periods of time.

During my time with the North Texas Food Bank we saw many occasions where children would hoard food. When confronted with an abundance of food to eat at a friend’s home, or at school, or at the food bank, a child facing ongoing hunger will quietly begin putting food into their pockets or backpack to bring home for those times when food might not be available.

During our summer meal programs when kids would come to the food bank it was easy to spot those with food insecurity because they hoarded. It was impossible to convince them that it wasn’t necessary, that they would be back at the food bank the following day for more meals.

Sadly, life had taught them that something as basic as a regular meal could not be counted on.

Every time I see a commercial for “Hoarders,” I think about these children. Their situation would not make pretty TV.

One way that you can help this week is by dining out. Share Our Strength’s Great American Dine Out, running through Saturday, September 25, rallies restaurants all over the country to raise funds in unique ways to end childhood hunger in America. Simply go to the restaurant map and enter your city or zip code to find a restaurant near you. The more you dine out, the more you help make No Kid Hungry.

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