Your father feels he is worthless. He cannot earn money to put food on the table. He thinks about stealing food so your family can eat. He's not a thief. He's desperate. The baby has no milk. She's getting sick. Your father is afraid she will die. He thinks it's his fault.
Your mother worries. How will she feed the family? There is no food in the house. When there is food, she goes without eating to feed you and your brothers and sisters. She is very thin. She doesn't feel well. She cries a lot, which upsets your father. Sometimes they argue. They never argued before. You want to help, but don't know what to do. Life has changed for your family. The United States and Canada are in the midst of the Great Depression.
One of the causes of the Great Depression was the crash of the stock market. After World War I, stock prices rose. Many people invested money in stock. They were hoping that prices would keep going up. When prices rose, they made money. Then, everything can crashing down. People who had always had food on the table found themselves hungry. They had no money to buy food. They found themselves standing in bread lines or eating in food kitchens. (places to get free food) Jobs were scarce.
Children were expected to go to school. Their parents wanted them to have a good education. They were also needed at home to help with chores. Children of poor families dropped out of school. They tried to find jobs. They wanted to earn money and help their families.
Parents packed up a few belongings and left their homes. The migrated (traveled) across the country looking for work. Other families lost their homes and lived in shacks. Some made homes from packing crates and boxes. Little towns made of these types of homes sprung up all over the country. These were called, "shanty towns."
The seasons often determined what people ate. In summer, people in rural (country) areas of the northern United States grew large gardens. They preserved (canned) vegetables to eat during the long winter months. If they had extra, they traded with friends and neighbors for the things that they needed.
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