Communities that Eat Together Stay Together
The American Solidarity Party affirms the importance of communities. Community is necessary for human flourishing. Eating together is one of the most meaningful ways people can build community. When people share a meal, they sit next to each other, providing a basic sense of belonging. In most cultures, important life events are followed by meals shared with loved ones. After weddings and funerals alike, people eat together. In many faith traditions including my own, the sharing of a meal can take on extra significance. It can be seen as sacred. It can symbolize our spiritual unity that goes beyond the physical.
Today I came together with neighbors in my corner of Albuquerque to enjoy the Summer Meal Program with my children. This is one of the things I love about my hometown: it offers free lunch to any person aged 1-18 during the summer. There are nearly one hundred of these sites distributed throughout the city. Eighteen of these sites also have Story Time in the Park with a teacher reading to the kids.
These programs do not discriminate. Any child is eligible. There is no paperwork—all you have to do is show up. I have noticed that families from all socioeconomic status levels participate. Some supplement with their own food from home. Some come just for the community. In general, though, kids love getting in line for lunch with other kids. They enjoy sitting together and reading under the shade of a tree. Parents, grandparents, and other caregivers mingle in the heat of the day, enjoying a bit of a siesta together.
Similar programs exist throughout New Mexico. For some families, this program is a Godsend and addresses a desperate physical need. Approximately 20 percent of New Mexican children experience food insecurity, which is the occasional or constant lack of access to enough food for a healthy lifestyle. In the past few years, we have made progress. Between 2014 and 2020, food insecurity in New Mexico dropped from 17% to 13%. Our food programs receive funding from both state and federal sources. However, in some communities, up to 75% of the funding comes from private donations.
Although the financial and nutritional components of the Summer Food Program are significant, there is more to it than that. Eating together strengthens the community. It is a way for people to get to know each other. Food programs like the free summer lunches for kids in Albuquerque are an affirmation of the value the community places on children. It is a gesture of gratitude for the important (but unpaid) work caregivers provide. It is an affirmation that we are more than just a “dog eat dog” meritocratic society.