Giving Compass' Take:

• Philip Ward explains how soup kitchens may be part of the solution to ending hunger, a major national problem. 

• From a policy level, how are we addressing hunger in America? What long-term solutions can address hunger at scale? 

• Read about why we need to re-evaluate the food ecosystem and how we think about food to solve the hunger crisis. 

Hunger is a real and serious problem in America. In my home state of Washington, one in eight people lack the food needed to fulfill basic nutritional needs.  The statistics are even worse for children; according to an October 2017 report by Northwest Harvest, one in five Washingtonian children live in a family that struggles to put food on the table. Between 2008 and 2011, the number of hungry families in the state skyrocketed from 88,000 to 163,000.

Soup kitchens can help alleviate some of the burden that people who are trying to provide for their families are facing.  Food banks and charity kitchens are vital to every community; Northwest Harvest reports that one in six Washington residents — well over a million people total — rely on their local food bank for sustenance. We need to come together as community members to aid those who struggle with hunger.

Read the full article about soup kitchens by Philip Ward at Medium.