In “Paying it forward”, Steve Farrelly from The Breakfast Club addressed a point that struck a chord with me: without food, all other aspects of living are compromised. Specifically, he referred to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, in which physiological demands form the foundation of our “needs pyramid”, and that without these basic needs, feelings of safety, love/belonging, esteem and self-actualisation cannot be achieved.
Additionally, in Rebekah Graham’s, “Cakes, Community Meals and Charity: Responses to Food Insecurity”, this vital connection that we have with food, beyond physical fulfillment, is noted when it’s stated that, “The social practices embedded in food are just as important as the food itself, in that these often reflect familiarity, shared heritage and a sense of belonging”. Consequently, the kids and families that Steve and his organisation help aren’t just being nourished physically, but also spiritually and mentally.
You could say that I felt emotionally confronted by this notion.
As someone who’s lived a life where I’ve never had to leave the house hungry, I haven’t ever stopped to contemplate how much food security really strengthens me.
I feel secure,
I feel loved and supported by those around me,
I feel self-esteem and confidence within myself.
I realise now that the simple pleasure of food helps to achieve this for me. Those who struggle to get even just breakfast are less likely to be able to feel the same ways that I do as, unfortunately, their priority lies in just being able to make ends meet.
Preach! Just adding to your thoughts it’s almost a bittersweet realisation, isn’t it? The Sweet, that we are able to and have been fulfilled by our food and the access we have to it, the people we share it with. However, upon this realisation comes the bitter part, that we are lucky and others are not. I think this is a very important and hopefully longlasting wake-up call. Now that I’m not turning a blind eye or lacking knowledge of the impact that food has on someone’s hierarchy of needs I feel obliged to be a part of paying it forward. When we are fulfilled we are able to help fulfill others starting with the simple and pivotal task for providing food.
Well put. Food being an entry point for improving other symptoms of poverty really stuck with me too. It’s all connected and food is where it all begins, for everyone. Does make you wonder though why things like dignity and being healthy are a privilege when they are universal needs.
I have to say that I too, felt very moved by the Breakfast Club for Kids presentation. This lead me to speculate that not only does the scarcity of food compromise our basic needs but it can have a profound impact on our emotional self-regulation. A child who cannot possibly grasp the biological complexity of the mind/body link is victim to lethargy, achiness, headaches and a lack of concentration; all of which are a recipe for low mood. It is therefore unsurprising that a starved child feels a lack of esteem, self-worth and self-actualisation.
I felt emotionally moved by your ideas and statements in your post. I think you’re absolutely right. There are so many people in the world who are waiting for not just the physical embodiment of food, but everything food brings with it and the opportunities it opens.
I also loved the short, sharp responses you made to the hierarchy of needs, it really made me appreciate the simplest of meals I’ve eaten in my life, and knowing that sometimes it’s the meals you sometimes don’t think twice about (the amount of times people have skipped breakfast), can- especially in Steve’s Club’s case, create a warm, loving environment for these kids.
It’s quite remarkable, how people have come to use ingredients differently and all commonly seem to produce one feeling, love.
Hey Emily, thanks for the insights 🙂
For me, Steve Farelley’s mention of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, was more reflective, than confronting. Only through this course did I come to realise the terms “food security” and “food insecurity,” within my own life.
At different stages of my life, I’ve experienced both, despite all of my parents efforts to hide the latter. They had subjectively taken it as a comment on their ability as parents, instead of objectively looking at the situation. This has then made me think about the negative connotations associated with food insecurity and how our communities take food deprivation as a personal, instead of a systemic issue.
It’s reassuring to know that we’re all self-aware of how food security is a privilege (when it really shouldn’t be) however, simply acknowledging this food inequality is just the first step.
Hence, my question is, what can we do now?
Because surely, we can all take the second step together! 🙂