Hungry children cannot thrive. Yet millions of kids in America
are at risk of going hungry. Hungry children are disadvantaged
children. They can’t grow, develop and learn like other kids.
They have trouble focusing and getting along. They complain
often of headaches, stomachaches and other ailments. They fall
behind in virtually every way. Local business leaders were
invited to explore the issue of childhood hunger and its impact
on academic success Thursday night in downtown Jacksonville at
an event organized by Second Harvest North Florida. Featured
speakers were Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding
America, and Dr. John Cook, professor of pediatrics from Boston
University and the author of Child Food Insecurity: The Economic
Impact on our Nation. “This is an issue that will not go away,”
Escarra told the crowd. “It will be with us for some time.”
According to Dr. Cook’s report, released by Feeding America in
2010, 20.8 percent of children in Florida are experiencing food
insecurity. It reveals a 4.9