Childhood Hunger and Crime: After-School Programs

11/11/2017 4 min
Childhood Hunger and Crime: After-School Programs

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Episode Synopsis


By Max Johnston

This story is the second and final segment in our series on Childhood Hunger. Check out part I, here.

In the first part of our story, Susan Popkin from The Urban Institute talked about ‘food insecurity.’ Popkin said that food may be so hard to come by, that it may be leading children to crime.

“Hearing just, how matter of fact the kids were about ‘oh yeah, everybody runs out, nobody gets enough,’ that kids steal." Popkin said. "That they have to live with that everyday.”

Popkin and her team found that after-school programs, like the Harvest Share they started in Portland, Oregon, could address Childhood Hunger and the stigma around it.

Project Manager Micaela Lipman says that once kids were in these programs, they were eager to involve other people their age.

“They really, really, really wanted to work with other teenagers in other communities and learn what other folks were doing around the same issue," Lipman said. "So connecting with other teenage led groups in the area.”

Reporter Max Johnston takes you to a program in Lansing that's tackling childhood hunger.