When Teens Go Hungry

When Draven Schoberg  was a seventh-grader, she and her younger sister had a strategy for days when they’d come home hungry after school to a mostly empty refrigerator.

The siblings, who lived with their grandparents in Miles, Texas, would search the house—rifling through drawers and turning over couch cushions—looking for quarters.

For 50 cents, they could get two granola bars at a nearby convenience store. That small snack would usually be enough to quiet their rumbling stomachs until dinner—which was often soup or, on a good day, a casserole made of ground beef and tater tots.

During dinner, Schoberg would try to ignore how her grandparents took tiny portions of food so she and her sister could have more. Although she felt guilty, she would eat—knowing that her next meal wouldn’t be until lunch the following day.

When Draven Schoberg was a seventh-grader, she and her younger sister had a plan for days when they’d come home hungry after school to a mostly empty refrigerator.

The siblings lived with their grandparents in Miles, Texas. They would search the house looking for quarters. They would rifle through drawers and turn over couch cushions.

For 50 cents, they could get two granola bars at a nearby convenience store. That small snack would usually be enough to quiet their rumbling stomachs until dinner.

Their dinner was often soup. On a good day, they’d have a casserole made of ground beef and tater tots. Schoberg’s grandparents would take tiny portions of food so she and her sister could have more. She always tried to ignore it. Although she felt guilty, she knew that her next meal wouldn’t be until lunch the following day. So, she had no choice but to eat.

Schoberg qualified for the free-breakfast program at her school—one of the few students there who did. But she was too embarrassed to take part. She was afraid that if the other kids realized her family couldn’t afford to feed her at home, they would make fun of her.

“I definitely think my friends could tell that I was hungry,” Schoberg, now 20, says looking back. “My stomach would rumble during class, but I’d always try to laugh it off.”

Schoberg qualified for the free-breakfast program at her school. In fact, she was one of the few students there who did. But she was too embarrassed to take part. She was afraid that if the other kids realized her family couldn’t afford to feed her at home, they would make fun of her.

“I definitely think my friends could tell that I was hungry,” Schoberg, now 20, says looking back. “My stomach would rumble during class, but I’d always try to laugh it off.”

Schoberg was just one of an estimated 7 million young people ages 10 to 17 who face food insecurity in the United States. In a food-insecure household, parents or guardians struggle to provide enough food—or the right kinds of healthy foods—because of a lack of money or other resources.

Experts say that while many charitable food programs exist for adults and younger children, fewer resources specifically target older kids. What’s more, food-insecure teens are often harder to reach because many of them are reluctant to accept help.

Like Schoberg, some teens are too embarrassed to admit that they’re hungry and don’t want to be seen accepting free food.

“It’s easy to line up little kids and give them a backpack filled with food,” says Susan Popkin, a food-insecurity researcher. “But you can’t really do that with teens. There are stigmas about not wanting to stand out.”

This is especially harmful because teens are still growing. Research shows that without adequate nutrition, teens can suffer physically and emotionally, and struggle to concentrate in school.

An estimated 11 percent of U.S. households—about 37 million people—were food insecure in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s down from a high of about 50 million in 2009, at the height of the Great Recession, the economic decline in the U.S. that lasted for nearly two years.

Schoberg was just one of an estimated 7 million people ages 10 to 17 who face food insecurity in the United States. In other words, their parents or guardians struggle to provide enough food or the right kinds of healthy foods. A lack of money or other resources is at the root of their struggle.

Many charitable food programs exist for adults and younger children. But experts say that fewer resources specifically target older kids. What’s more, food-insecure teens are often harder to reach because many of them won’t accept help.

Like Schoberg, some teens are too embarrassed to admit that they’re hungry and don’t want to be seen accepting free food.

“It’s easy to line up little kids and give them a backpack filled with food,” says Susan Popkin, a food-insecurity researcher. “But you can’t really do that with teens. There are stigmas about not wanting to stand out.”

This is especially harmful because teens are still growing. Research shows that without proper nutrition, teens can suffer physically and emotionally. It also makes it harder for them to concentrate in school.

An estimated 11 percent of U.S. households were food insecure in 2018, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That’s about 37 million people. The rate is down from a high of about 50 million in 2009, at the height of the Great Recession, the economic decline in the U.S. that lasted for nearly two years.

At the same time, teens in food-insecure households are painfully aware of their families’ financial struggles. Many of them try to help by limiting how much they eat, says Popkin. Some teens will skip meals or give their food
to younger siblings. Others hope to be offered dinner at a friend’s house.

“They feel the pressure that their parents are under,” Popkin says. “They’re old enough to be aware of it, and they want to help, so they often go hungry along with their parents.”

Schoberg recalls doing everything she could to try to earn money to help her grandparents, who had been raising her and her sister since they were small children. Her grandfather, an artist, didn’t make a lot of money. And her grandmother was often too sick to work.

So Schoberg babysat, watched neighbors’ pets, and even tried selling some of her drawings at school. She also helped her grandparents shop for groceries, typically passing over healthy but more expensive items like fruits and vegetables in favor of cheaper foods.

At the same time, teens in food-insecure households are painfully aware of their families’ financial struggles. Many of them try to help by limiting how much they eat, says Popkin. Some teens will skip meals or give their food to younger siblings. Others hope to be offered dinner at a friend’s house.

“They feel the pressure that their parents are under,” Popkin says. “They’re old enough to be aware of it, and they want to help, so they often go hungry along with their parents.”

Schoberg’s grandparents had been raising her and her sister since they were small children. She recalls doing everything she could to try to earn money to help them. Her grandfather, an artist, didn’t make a lot of money. And her grandmother was often too sick to work.

So Schoberg babysat, watched neighbors’ pets, and even tried selling some of her drawings at school. She also helped her grandparents shop for groceries. They typically passed over healthy items like fruits and vegetables. Many of those products were more expensive, so they would buy cheaper foods instead.

Still, hunger was sometimes inevitable. When Schoberg didn’t get enough to eat, she would often feel sick or stressed out—and would stay home from school.

Many food-insecure teens face similar struggles. According to one study, nearly 30 percent of teens living in food-insecure households have mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, compared with 9 percent of food-secure kids.

“When you’re a teenager, you’re at a point in your life where everything is changing,” Schoberg says. “But when you also have to worry about where your next meal is coming from, it’s a whole other level of awful.”

Still, hunger was sometimes inevitable. When Schoberg didn’t get enough to eat, she would often feel sick or stressed out. That would cause her to stay home from school.

Many food-insecure teens face similar struggles. According to one study, nearly 30 percent of teens living in food-insecure households have mental health problems such as depression or anxiety, compared with 9 percent of food-secure kids.

“When you’re a teenager, you’re at a point in your life where everything is changing,” Schoberg says. “But when you also have to worry about where your next meal is coming from, it’s a whole other level of awful.”

Many experts say that ending the teen hunger crisis has to start with addressing its root cause: family poverty. However, there are major disagreements about how severe the poverty problem is. Advocates for the poor say that officials must increase SNAP benefits for families and improve access to better-quality jobs for parents. However, in December, the Trump administration approved a new rule change that would restrict who qualifies for SNAP.

The administration says that fewer people need SNAP now because the economy has improved, and the new rule will prevent people from taking advantage of the program, saving the government billions. However, critics argue that the new plan, along with two other proposed rule changes backed by the Trump administration, would result in an estimated 3.7 million people losing their benefits, including many families still struggling.

Many experts say that ending the teen hunger crisis has to start with addressing its root cause: family poverty. But there are major disagreements about how severe the poverty problem is. Advocates for the poor say that officials must increase SNAP benefits for families. They also say that parents need better access to higher-quality jobs. However, in December, the Trump administration approved a new rule change that would restrict who qualifies for SNAP.

The administration says that fewer people need SNAP now because the economy has improved. The new rule will prevent people from taking advantage of the program, saving the government billions. But critics argue against the new plan and two other proposed rule changes backed by the Trump administration. They say these measures would result in an estimated 3.7 million people losing their benefits, including many families still struggling.

No solution is possible, experts say, unless teens are encouraged to accept help. Young people need to know that hunger-relief organizations exist across the country and that there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of their offerings.

One way to encourage food-insecure teens to take part, says Popkin, is to combine charitable food programs with activities, such as basketball games or movie nights. That way, the focus is more on socializing and having fun—and less on the food.

School districts are also trying to address the teen hunger crisis. Some schools in western Ohio, for example, run a program in which volunteers discreetly place bags of food in students’ lockers every Friday so teens who would normally go hungry over the weekend can eat.

Other schools, including many in Michigan, California, and Texas, are taking a new approach to free school breakfast: They offer it to all students, regardless of economic status. Students can pick up their food—usually bagels or muffins, fruit, and juice—on their way to class and eat while their teacher takes attendance.

Experts say that no solution is possible unless teens are encouraged to accept help. Young people need to know that hunger-relief organizations exist across the country and that there’s nothing wrong with accepting their help.

One way to encourage food-insecure teens to take part, says Popkin, is to combine charitable food programs with activities, such as basketball games or movie nights. That would shift the focus away from the food and toward socializing and having fun.

School districts are also trying to address the teen hunger crisis. Some schools in western Ohio, for example, run a program in which volunteers discreetly place bags of food in students’ lockers every Friday. That way, teens who would normally go hungry over the weekend can eat.

Other schools, including many in Michigan, California, and Texas, are taking a new approach to free school breakfast. They offer it to all students, regardless of economic status. These schools typically provide bagels or muffins, fruit, and juice. Students can pick up their food on their way to class and eat while their teacher takes attendance.

Life began to turn around for Schoberg when, at the age of 14, she and her sister moved in with their aunt and uncle, who eventually adopted the girls. Schoberg remained close with her grandparents, and everyone was better off financially. She no longer had to worry about having enough food and could focus on her grades. Today, she’s a student at the University of Texas at Austin.

But Schoberg hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be food-insecure. In her free time, she volunteers with hunger-relief organizations, such as No Kid Hungry and the Texas Hunger Initiative.

Her projects have included helping to run a summer program that pairs free lunches with activities such as sports and games, and brainstorming ways to improve the quality of school meals in Austin. She also speaks to kids about the importance of eating breakfast. Through her work, Schoberg tries to instill a sense of hope in the food-insecure teens she meets—and let them know that they should never be ashamed to accept help.

“I know how hard it is to be so focused on where your next meal is coming from,” she says. “It can make you feel like you’re the only one who’s going through something like this. But I want them to know that it’s going to get better.”

Life began to turn around for Schoberg when she was 14. She and her sister moved in with their aunt and uncle, who eventually adopted the girls. Schoberg remained close with her grandparents, and everyone was better off financially. She no longer had to worry about having enough food and could focus on her grades. Today, she’s a student at the University of Texas at Austin.

But Schoberg hasn’t forgotten what it’s like to be food-insecure. In her free time, she volunteers with hunger-relief organizations, such as No Kid Hungry and the Texas Hunger Initiative.

Her projects have included helping to run a summer program that pairs free lunches with activities such as sports and games, and brainstorming ways to improve the quality of school meals in Austin. She also speaks to kids about the importance of eating breakfast. Through her work, Schoberg tries to instill a sense of hope in the food-insecure teens she meets. She tries to let them know that they should never be ashamed to accept help.

“I know how hard it is to be so focused on where your next meal is coming from,” she says. “It can make you feel like you’re the only one who’s going through something like this. But I want them to know that it’s going to get better.”