This morning, my eleven year old son, asked if he could put some Ramen Noodles in his backpack.
I asked him why?
“Well sometimes there’s food at Hunter’s house and sometimes there’s not. Last time I went over there was just ketchup.”
“What are you talking about?”
Hunter is his good good friend. Skinny, loyal to a fault and silly. He won’t really talk to you until he’s known you for a while. He loves playing hide and go seek in the dark and jumping off high stuff into the lake.
Sandor and Hunter generally hang out at house but sometimes I let Sandor ride the bus to Hunters.
“It’s just that sometimes they have like every thing in the world to eat and sometimes there’s nothing. So I wanted to take the Ramen in case it’s a nothing day.”
That’s when I figured out what was going on. Hunter and his mom and sister get food stamps. She’s single and works (she might make eight dollars an hour) but it’s not enough. When the food and food stamps run out…that’s it for a while.
Thankfully, Hunter gets free breakfasts and lunches at school every day, during the school year. He’s a good boy. He shouldn’t be hungry. But I worry about him in the summer, when school is out. He stays at our house more and that’s a good thing.
I’m writing this now because the political season is here. I hope our politicians understand there are people in their districts just like Hunter and his mom. Those meals at school are vital. I know hand outs are not the answer but the “working poor” are a reality. Don’t turn your back on Hunter.