When You've Looked Into the Eyes of a Child Who has Gone Hungry...

We had two little sisters placed in our home through the Safe Families for Children organization. A non-profit that helps families in crisis. During their first meal with us, they devoured their food. Each little girl, small for their age, had 3 to 4 helpings! Their hunger seemed insatiable. No matter how much they ate, they still wanted more. A Safe Family mom with more experience than I have, told me that it’s typical for children living in poverty to overeat during their first meal with a Safe Family. They want to eat all they can while it’s in front of them because they know what it’s like to go without food. It’s almost instinctual to fill themselves up while they can.

Although I've known that children in our country go hungry, to have children who have lived in these circumstances actually sit at our table in our home impacted me profoundly. After they left, I thought about our time with the little girls. The older sister too small to even reach the counter wanted to help me in the kitchen at every meal. She said she loves to cook even though she had never helped out in a kitchen before. When we gathered for dinner, she set the table without being asked and was insistent that my husband join us. She wanted us all gathered around the table as a family. It was so important to them to have a mom and dad at the table sharing in this meal which is something they don't have. The youngest one without being prompted said grace. In her tiny voice, she thanked God for the food in front of her. After dinner, both girls thanked us for serving them dinner.

At one point during the day, I found some old puppets I had from my teaching days and shared them with the girls. They squealed in delight as they played with the puppets. They took nothing we shared with them for granted. The simplest things enthralled them and brought joy to them.

As I laid in bed later that day, I kept thinking about the girls. It saddened me to think about the poverty they face. Then something struck me. They are certainly impoverished when it comes to material things, but they possess some beautiful qualities that my own daughter doesn’t have. My daughter and many of her peers have an abundance of toys and clothes, yet many lack an appreciation for what they have. In fact, despite all they have, they often ask for more. It also takes a lot to impress them! I buy things for my daughter and they might grab her attention initially, but her excitement quickly fades and the “new toy” gets buried in a bin with other discarded toys.

It’s not just my daughter who is guilty of this. I am guilty of this as well. I forget how fortunate I am and I invest so much of my time and energy on things of little importance. The night before these girls arrived I was up for hours scouring online for a console table for our family room studying the different wood stains. I wondered what art piece to put above it and the sofa cushions that would complement the “modern farmhouse look” I’m after.

We live in a manner that puts consumption at the forefront. We are constantly in pursuit of that next thing we want to buy or that next room we want to remodel. We pin all of these project ideas and things we want to purchase. All of it leads to temporary happiness and then when the happiness fades, we’re off to buy the next new thing that promises to make us happy. It's a never ending pursuit.

After meeting these little girls, my hours of online shopping seemed so wasteful and my preoccupation with designing a “perfect family room” seemed so trivial. We gave these little girls food, shelter and love. In return, they gave me an awareness I lacked. Once you've looked into the eyes of a child who has gone hungry, it changes you.

To learn more about Safe Families, visit https://safe-families.org/

1 in 6 children in the United States faces hunger. (Source: Feeding America)