Ravi Kalwani with the 2,000th caregiver GROW has interviewed.
The 2000th caregiver was interviewed in the Emergency Department of St. Christopher's Hospital for Children as part of the National Children's Sentinel Nutrition Assessment Program (C-SNAP). C-SNAP began interviewing at St. Christopher's in February of 2005 and has been a steady presence in the Emergency Room ever since. As the research arm of The Philadelphia GROW Project, the C-SNAP study conducts policy-relevant, evidence-based research to better the lives of children less than three years old. Research assistants staff St. Christopher's Emergency Department six to seven days per week and at various times to get a wide sample of caregivers for the study.
Ravi Kalwani, who has been with The GROW Project for a year and a half, interviewed our 2,000th C-SNAP research participant on January 30, 2007.
Though our interviews capture some of the fundamental elements of the experience of hunger and poverty for US families, in line with GROW's testimony at the recent Harrisburg Hunger Summit, it is important that we do not lose sight of the human element of hunger.
ABC's News Program 20/20 reported on children living in poverty in Camden, NJ, a city directly across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. Over the course of one year, 20/20 followed several children who were living in poverty and not getting enough food throughout the day.
Ivan is a four-year-old homeless child of a single mother. When Ivan is taken to school for the first time he begins to cry and says he's worried about the kids making fun of him. "It's alright…you can be scared," his mother says. "But you gotta be a big boy." Ivan shows real interest in learning to read and has great talent, but is stumped when his principal asks him how many times one eats during the day. Click here to watch the story (please allow for the introductory ad to finish).
Billy is a teenager in a family of five trying to finish his high school degree. He says that when they run out of food, his family takes turns eating meals, but that "…the priorities is the babies, Steven and Jonas, cause they're the youngest." Cockroaches crawl about his home including his little brother's play pen. Click here to watch the story (please allow for the introductory ad to finish).