The growing population of hungry people in a country so full of food is a paradox that is being better understood each day. Despite the fact that the United States has the resources to provide everyone with nutritious and affordable food, 50 million Americans still don't know what their next meal will be or where it will come from.

The documentary A Place at the Table explains the issue of hunger in the United States and the social, cultural and economic implications that come with it. In the midst of many social and class related problems in the U.S., hunger should be among of the easiest to solve. The film carefully explains the systems in place that allow food insecurity to continue affecting families.

One in every two children in the U.S. will at some point be on federal food assistance. In 2011, only approximately 50 percent of food-insecure households participated in at least one of the three major federal food assistance programs, including the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. It's a wonder how so many people are hungry in a nation so fruitful.

The film steps into the life of a single mother, a Colorado fifth-grader and a Mississippi second-grader whose families, health and education are inhibited by the challenge of being fed. Interwoven with these stories are expert insights from food policy leaders, activists and educators who help identify the root causes of the issue.

The Grand Cinema will be showing A Place at the Table May 3-9. Following the 4:20 p.m. showing May 5, The Emergency Food Network's Executive Director Helen McGovern will join The Grand Cinema for a post-film discussion. The Emergency Food Network is an organization devoted to connecting 67 food banks and hot meal sites to over 1,300,000 clients in the Puget Sound area.

McGovern will address the situations explored in the film and the impact they have locally. The film and discussion provide viewers with an important opportunity to learn about food insecurity. Perhaps the greatest indication of this documentary's value is that, rather than offering specific solutions, A Place at the Table invites its audience to engage in the search for them.

A PLACE AT THE TABLE FILM DISCUSSION, 4:20 p.m., Sunday, May 5, The Grand Cinema, 606 S. Fawcett Ave., Tacoma, $4.50-$9, 253.593.4474

Kelsey Hilmes is a Marketing Intern at The Grand Cinema