I sit at my desk, trying to focus on the lesson, but my stomach keeps reminding me it’s empty. My thoughts drift to the cafeteria, to the snack I didn’t grab this morning, to the gnawing ache that makes it hard to take notes. My backpack holds textbooks, but it doesn’t hold lunch, and my body refuses to cooperate with my brain.

I visit the nurse when I can, quietly nibbling on crackers or a granola bar. It helps a little, but it’s not enough to keep me awake through math or history. Hunger isn’t just physical. It makes every school day heavier, every assignment harder. It makes it harder to raise my hand, to participate, to focus — to show up fully as myself.

It’s not very often but sometimes we have to ration out food which affects my meals throughout the day. It sometimes affects my learning at school. We don’t pay rent or stuff, we get help from housing agencies but it’s still hard for us financially. We used to go to food pantries now we rely more on other sources.  

Often, I go to a community center, like BAGLY, for free food and to hang out with my friends. A better economy would help our family, I believe that firmly. The economy sucks right now. We use food stamps. Usually we budget our money when we don’t have that much or have to pay cable. I usually don’t feel hungry at school but sometimes when I’m home I do. Even with support we struggle.