It happened after we'd said "No" to several luxuries. What our children wanted was far more than they needed.

Then it started to happen.

We'd just moved to this area and people were trying their best to be welcoming.

A book. Flip flops. Clothing. Little items, but they were cropping up unexpectedly and far too frequently.

"Where did you get that from," my wife asked our 10-year-old.

"They gave it to me," came the reply.

A few months later, we heard our children had been reporting that we're poor.

"No, we live on a budget," was our explanation.

After a pep talk and apologies to the acquaintances our children had managed to fool, the matter was straightened out.

Not all families can provide the basic necessities. For some, weekly visits to their community's food pantry are necessary. For others, the situation is more critical.

Recently, in a BBC Radio report on child labor in Africa, children as young as seven told of their work in small-scale mining operations. Their search for gemstones or gold was hit-or-miss. On a good day, they could make as much as $1.20. On a bad day, nothing.

"We saw boys standing waste deep in toxic water, washing soil from nuggets of copper," the reporter said of one scene in the Congo.

What the boys earned provided for their families. If they didn't make anything, their families didn't eat that day.

A few months ago, the Rev. Robert Schmeelcke spoke to the congregation of First Lutheran Church in Shelby about hunger around the world. A retired pastor and representative for Food for the Poor Inc., he told several troubling stories. One stood out.

In the streets of Haiti, a mixture of dirt, flour and salt is made into patties for sale as food. It is, after all, affordable for many of the country's poor.

"It fills the belly. Or they don't eat at all," Schmeelcke said.

Like so many in America, we are often overtaken by the "I want more" syndrome. A bigger house. A better car. A better job. More money. More things. The list goes on. Restaurants get a steady stream of customers. Food is in abundance. To us, poverty is mere envy for something additional you wish you had.

We are among the fortunate. For that, there is much to be thankful.

But for many others, poverty is far more critical. You can't eat what isn't there. You can't buy food if there isn't anything to buy it with.

Learn more about this author, Shaun T. Koh.
Click here to send author comments or questions.

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