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NBC reports some students are bringing their school lunches home to help parents feed the family

By Eric Kodner

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes

May 31, 2008 06:36 AM

NBC News aired a disturbing segment this past week about hunger in America.

The report quoted school officials who confirmed that some students in low-income communities seem to be taking their school lunches home, rather than eating at school. And some households are relying on this food to provide nutrition for an entire family.

The segment also pointed to American cities where food shelves are either dangerously close to empty or are strained by the need for donated food.

We live in a time when families are feeling the strain of high gasoline prices and other economic pressures. And in our industry, we search for buyer prospects who have the means to afford a fine home or invest in a retirement property.

We've become a nation of haves and have-nots. And the gap between the two is becoming disturbingly wide.

What's wrong with this picture?

What does it mean when school children are forced to make this kind of sacrifice in order to help feed their families?

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Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Anthony, the last time we experienced hunger and homelessness in America to this degree was during the Reagan administration. Unfortunately, history repeats itself.

May 31, 2008 07:09 AM

Randy L. Prothero

eXp Realty - Hollister, MO

Missouri REALTOR, (808) 384-5645

The sick part is the politicians who claim to be looking out for the little guy are the very ones responsible for the escalating cost of living. That alone will make the gap larger.

May 31, 2008 07:46 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Randy, I wonder if anyone in Washington is "looking out for the little guy". They're sure not doing much on behalf of the middle class.

May 31, 2008 08:03 AM

Charlottesville Solutions

Charlottesville Solutions - Charlottesville, VA

This shows that we are in some tough times in our country. Seems almost everyone I talk to is tighening their belts.

May 31, 2008 08:13 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Charles, it's disturbing to learn that school children are giving up meals to help feed their families.

My father used to talk about the Great Depression. He told us that he and his siblings did odd jobs to bring a few dollars into the household so the family could afford to eat. These are not good times we're living in today. And it's infuriating to read the "I've got mine" attitude of some politicians and business execs while people are going hungry in America.

May 31, 2008 08:27 AM

COMPASS PALM SPRINGS | Stewart Penn

COMPASS - Palm Springs, CA

COMPASS Palm Springs - Broker Associate

The success of the United States as an "Econominc Model" relied on a large middle class. As this socio-economic group is eroded away, the stability and sustainability of our economy will be undermined.

A scenario of "the haves" and "the have-nots" exists in undeveloped and under-developed countries, not the strongest nation in the world.

Could this mean that the accepted standard of living in America is becoming a faded memory? Hopefully voters will question this and make demands on elected officials to take real steps to preserve this middle class.

May 31, 2008 08:30 AM

Gita Bantwal

RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA

REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

I missed the report on TV. It is a sad story. I will check with local shelter and donate some canned food and whatever they need.Can you imagine how much we could donate to our community if each member gave just one item..

May 31, 2008 08:30 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Stewart, the widening gap between rich and poor in America may turn out to be the biggest single threat to our economic future.

I just posted another article along the same lines:

"I've got mine"

May 31, 2008 09:48 AM

Courtney Cooper

Cooper Jacobs - Seattle, WA

206-850-8841

Thank you for reminding me that I need to go drop some more off. Sad...

May 31, 2008 09:50 AM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Gita, it's wonderful that you plan to make a contribution. Food banks and shelters are stretched to the max by what's going on with the economy.

Courtney, contributing to community food shelves is something we can all do to help.

May 31, 2008 09:50 AM

Jackie - computer-training-atlanta.com

770.498.7333 - Atlanta, GA

Learn to leverage technology to get more done.

Eric - this reminds me of a story I saw on the news last week. The head of our Atlanta food bank said that he was seeing more and more people who use to donate to the food back coming back as customers. Thanks for sharing this story.

May 31, 2008 10:07 AM

Bonnie & Terry Westbrook

Westbrook Realty - Ada, MI

Grand Rapids MI Real Estate

I'm glad you posted about this, it is very disturbing and so wrong. We see many with luxuries beyond what any person could want here in our area and there are many children who go to school every day hungry. Not sure how our priorities got so skewed.

May 31, 2008 10:12 AM

Eric Kodner

Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI

CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

Jackie -- Things are getting ugly out there in some areas. There's no excuse for allowing children to go hungry in America.

May 31, 2008 06:39 PM

Eric Kodner

Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI

CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

Bonnie, our nation's "priorities" are out of sync with reality. Trickle-down economics has turned out to be a badly failed experiment that needs to be discarded.

May 31, 2008 06:41 PM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Eric: What is wrong ? That's easy. The system is broken. Or the pause button has been hit by those who do not care. Hopefully change in on its way.

Jun 01, 2008 07:35 PM

Eric Kodner

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN

Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Karen Anne -- Poverty and hunger in America is an obscenity.

In the early 1960s, Michael Harrington wrote "The Other America" about poverty in this nation. Somebody needs to write "The Other America: 2008". The subject (and it's cause) needs to be revisited.

It will take an awful lot of change to undo the damage that has been done over the past eight years. And while I agree that a change in the national agenda is badly needed, there are politicians on both sides of the aisle who share some of the blame.

Jun 02, 2008 04:22 AM