http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2007/12/22/74652/963

Our church gave our community pantry 7000.00 of our Thanksgiving offering this year. They have now coordinated with all the churches and now have a clearing house to prevent "double dipping" that has been an absolutely huge problem here.

I feel sorry for those that really feel they don't have the money to put any food on the table. It's difficult to understand though, when like most of you on this site, I do what I can to stretch my grocery dollars. I personally live on $20 a week for food and I know if I had to I could cut this lower. I work 40 hours a week and I still find time to bake if we want a treat: cookies, banana bread, muffins and freeze the extras for later. I make scratch pancakes and add whatever I want to them. I make and freeze extra meatballs, I mash potatoes instead of buying instant, I buy meat in bulk and freeze meal size portions for later use. We have pasta night once a week and a soup night once a week.

I take leftovers from dinner every day to work for lunch. I bring fruit and veggies with my lunch. I buy frozen veggies for less than a dollar a bag. We don't have room for a garden so frozen is the next best thing. I clip coupons for mostly non-food items. Our total bill with food, toiletries, cat needs, etc... averages out to $50-60 or less a week for two adults and two cats and I know that other's on this site have gotten their bills even lower.

I don't mean to sound harsh, but maybe people could use some lessons on how to stretch a dollar and make it go further when it comes to their groceries, instead of immediately looking for help. It's amazing how far just the basics can stretch when you don't have money for the convenience items.

It is sad when the food isn't going where it should and that is lower income earners.

That is sad if someone really needs it and gets turned away.

Our food pantry goes through a similar crisis every summer. Last summer I coordinated a food drive at our camp, and will continue to do so. Unfortunately, some of these people do work very hard, but the jobs they are do pay so little, it's hard to stretch any of the money beyond rent.

I hate to point this out but this article is on a very liberal site with an important upcoming election.... the statement that food pantries are providing food to many people who work full time jobs is very easy to throw in but where are their statistical facts for that statement? I am not trying to get all political here at all, but it is easy to make things sound a certain way to get a message across.
IF food pantries really are giving food assistance to those who work full time then I agree that maybe there should be some free classes on how to stretch one's food dollar and maybe only give to those who are in true need of assistance.
I am pretty certain that the pantries we give to have clear rules about who is truly in need.
OK.....Ducking and running for cover now!!!!!!

I know that our local food pantry has been running low on food for the past year or so (no, I don't frequent the pantry.) So, I don't think it has anything to do with politics.

On the other hand, I do believe that in order to receive food, a person should be REQUIRED to take a free class to learn how to stretch their food. So many people simply don't know how to cook, let alone stretch their food dollars.

Sorry....didn't mean to imply that food pantries were not running low on food....just contending that this particular articles assertion that people working full time jobs were having to get assistance there to make ends meet may be a little biased reporting.

I never get into political debates on the computer if I can help it and don't mean to here. The site that this article was on just sent my radar off is all. Just to be clear, I am not making a statement on which way people should vote or anything like that. However, when an article is posted on a very clearly one way or the other site, you have to consider what the agenda is. I want real facts to work with before I get upset about something. I hope I don't offend anyone, as that is not my intention...

CristiK-

The DailyKos quote from all sorts of sources - Hmmm - like the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Daily News.

Have you been reading your local newspaper and talking to people in your area? People who work full-time minimum wage jobs are living in homeless shelters.

Maybe you need to expand your reading sources.

Well I can add that a high number of % of junior enlisted in the military are on some kind of WIC or Foodstamp program and trust me when I say they work more then full time. The military is giving financial classes to help people handle their money. With the prices of things its getting harder and harder to pay for food.
On the other side of this people have to stop having the " I deserve it attitude" with things such as big screen tv's etc. People have to learn that its ok to have a 19 inch tv etc.

powerfm1,
I could "quote from" ANY source I choose and by only pulling the quotes I like make anything sound like anything I want it to. I will move on to another thread now though because I do not want this to turn into a political battle....again, not my intent.

CristiK - If you don't want to have political debates, do not make provacative statements. If the site that had said these things was a conservative news source would you have reacted the same?

I think it was your intent. I am certainly not on here to have political debates, but I also call them as I see them.

I'm done.

I've personally seen the hard times of the working poor and the homeless.

I worked/volunteered at a food bank for 2 years. We had several families who worked at WM and other jobs who were clients. They had to prove their income and give SS#'s and all clients were willing to do it as they were desperate. These were the people who fall through the cracks of getting food stamps. They make maybe $25.00 to $75.00 too much 'a year' to be eligible and are told for one spouse to quit their job so they can receive benefits. These families were sent to us by the Welfare Office. I know this is true as it happend to us. Yes, they can afford a bologna sandwich for dinner but when you're feeding children you need fruits, vegetables, and dairy. When you go to the grocery store and are very careful about just buying salad ingredients, you will easily run up $9.00!

Donations got so bad here in town that all food banks (there used to be 5)are now closed down expect for 2 church food banks and they do turn people away on a regular basis and you are only allowed to visit those food banks 1-2 times a month.

I agree that people who receive food from the food banks should be taught how to stretch their food dollars. I have never had to go to a food bank but I think that if I needed food and did not have the income then I would not hesitate to do so and I would hate to think that their wouldn't be food available. I think that one should instill dignity into others whenever that is possible and teaching people to stretch their food dollars would assist in meeting this goal. :applause:

Here's a link to a blog with NUMEROUS articles on this crisis, from numerous sources. I don't think that this is a fabricated issue for political reasons. It's real--people in the US (and Canada--look up the Mariposa, Ontario food bank crisis) are going hungry because of the growing economic downturn and rising inflation.

http://www.oldthinkernews.com/Articles/oldthinker%20news/is_the_united_states_facing_a_food_crisis.htm

By all signs, this will get worse before it gets better.

*shakes my head*

I work in a hospital and we ran a food drive this year for the winter months because we have people who work in our hospital who have to choose between buying oil for heat or food or auto gas, the dollar is not stretching. And I live in mountain country where people get by and make do....

I hate to see people being turned away, it's just heartbreaking. Regardless of where the article came from that simple fact is true. And can we keep the political BS to that forum? *sigh*

My SIL is the director of a community-run food pantry in a mountain county here in NC. We were just having a conversation with her over Christmas about this. In general they are blessed because it is supported by the community at large, but they have noticed that over the last year donations have dropped and requests have increased. Those that use to give much are just not able to and what little industry they did have has closed down. Most people in this area are working poor and senior citizens who have had to work every day of their lives just to survive and now have to subsist off SS. Once housing costs, heat and electricity are paid there is very little left to take to the grocery store. For the most part these are people who know how to stretch their food and families have garden plots. My SIL has been amazed by what some of them can do with their two bags of groceries.

I also agree though about education classes not just on budgeting for people on assistance, but also cooking classes. Kind of a back to the basics that most of us younger than 45 didn't learn from our own grandparents and parents. If we could get Sunbeam or other companies to donate crockpots it would be even better. Most on assistance work so many hours they can't even think about finding extra time in their day to prepare meals that can't just be popped in a microwave. But in all practicality you can't force someone to take the classes, although I think there would be some interest out there.

A lot of the people go from one food pantry to another. They know exactly what food pantry is open, on what day & time.

I know this because I had to go to the food pantry & I heard some of the people talking. They were asking had they been to XYZ yet as they were giving out good stuff. Then they went on to talk about the other places that they were going to. :(

This may get my head in a noose but here goes.
There is one church here that give out food once a month and they are the snottiest people and make anyone who goes there for help feel like the
lowest piece of slime because they have to ask for help.
We were in desperate need twice and only went if it was absolutely
no other way to make it.
One of the older ladies told me to just make do because she didn't think we deserved any help. ( She didn't know us from Adam ).

I went to the minister there and told her they were the most Un-Christian Church I ever seen.
I would starve before I'd ever go back there but I had a son to feed
so I had swallowed all my pride to feed him for the last few days of the month.

In this area alone they have brought in almost 5000 Bosnian people.
Now they are bringing 3000 from another county
They get free food, all medical , and are set up in free housing and
a free start up of a business.
( I am not against helping other but feel it should help Americans first).


I'm sorry but I have never turned away people if they needed help and its a sorry Country that this has become.

I know there are people who work the system and it sucks big time.

As for classes to teach people to stretch a dollar ( your told kids have
homaking 101 now and thats all they need)
Homaking 101 does teach them to make tacos and cookies .. (Whoopee Do)

There is one food pantry in my town. I went there last year and they gave a few bags of food and frozen juice. We recieved a lot of useful things my kids do like to eat plus they gave us a bunch of snacks for the kids.

I went back a few weeks ago, the stuff they tried to give us was way past expired or questionable and had juice in containers that they made up, I didn't take anything because everything was questionable.

Wierd thing is my daughters school did a food drive for this pantry a few weeks before then and raised a lot of food for the pantry. The stuff that was donated was all good but the pantry was pushing off questionable stuff

I will never go back there again

This may get my head in a noose but here goes.
There is one church here that give out food once a month and they are the snottiest people and make anyone who goes there for help feel like the
lowest piece of slime because they have to ask for help.
We were in desperate need twice and only went if it was absolutely
no other way to make it.
One of the older ladies told me to just make do because she didn't think we deserved any help. ( She didn't know us from Adam ).



I experienced this years ago when I was married. I donated diapers, baby food, and food/snacks that I was hoping children would like every week for over a year. My husband got hurt and it was going to take a few weeks before he was going to have money come in. I went tot hat pantry for a little help and they refused me, they just looked at me and turned me down. I was apalled because they did not know my situation or anything. When I was able to donate again I donated directly to a womans shelter.

'On the other hand, I do believe that in order to receive food, a person should be REQUIRED to take a free class to learn how to stretch their food."

I just returned from a trip to Wilmington, NC(States). I had to run into a Walmart for somethng. I stood on a very long line of people with baskets of food. The line was mostly woman with children. The food in the cart was all prepackaged junk. Boxes of corn dogs, frozen pancakes, ect. The woman were putting things back, because they were going over theIr food allowance for food stamps. I wanted to to tell them they could get so much more with their food card, if they prepared the food, themselves. I didn't have the nerve.

I feed six people, a dog and 2 cats for $350 a month. I stretch everything, prepare everything , and try not to waste anything. I wish I could do a workshop on how to stretch the food dollar.

Meg

That is especially a problem in big cities. That the homeless and the immigrants really know how to work the system. Some of the immigrants I know would all go get a free bag of food at different shelters.We were working at a church serving meals .and One older guy I was talking to had a route and knew what food was given on which days. He told me they treat you real well here in Southern California. I asked him why he didn't go to an assisted living or some other living arrangement. He told me he liked his freedom.He preferred being homeless. I do agree people need lessons on how to cook. I could eat like a king on food stamps but it kills me when I am shopping and see someone on foodstamps shopping in the deli.

All I can think to say is that I am not a bit surprised.

Seems to me if the homeless really knew how to work the system they wouldn't be homeless.

Reality is that for homeless people, knowing their resources is how they survive.

While I think it would be great if food pantries offered classes on low-cost food preparation, who would pay for those classes? Food pantries have very meager resources. I think for those wanting people to take classes, it would be wonderful of you to volunteer your time and talents and offer to teach those classes. :)

I'm looking at this from a slightly different perspective.

I actually ran a church food bank, and you would not believe the number of people who showed up weekly. Sometimes 2 or 3 times a week always wanting more...more...more.

I finally developed a form they had to fill out as well as limitations. Then I got to talking to some of the other directors in town and they gave me some tips. At the end of it all, probably 85% of the people who came in worked the system...or were trying to. I'd sit there day after day watching them fish their IDs out of Doony & Burke purses as they talked of how that "baby daddy" did nothing to help and that "baby daddy" was pretty good, but her boyfriend's kids ate real good off food stamps, etc. The "Employer" section of the form was almost always left blank or crossed out.

The 15% or so that actually did have a true need (and trust me, you can just tell after a while) left with bags and bags of food. The ones working the system usually left with a big bag of beans or rice or both. And instructions on how to cook them.

Is a dollar tougher to stretch? Of course. Are people everywhere feeling the pinch? Yes. But there are so many milking the governmental and charity cows that those who do have need are getting only water to drink.

Jesus said, "If you love me, feed my sheep." So as Christians, our imperative couldn't be any more clear. However, with the imperative to feed (meaning physically AND spiritually) comes with responsibility. Kind of like when you see someone with a sign on the side of the road. 95% of the time I can help those folks, I do it by taking them some actual food. The few times I couldn't, DH has said, "Well you know they'll just drink that money instead of buying food." True, but once that money/gift leaves my hands it's between that person and God.

These people who rob and cheat the system will have to answer one day to God for their behavior. But here's the catch - so will I.

So I try to give as He intended, while still using discretion. If I give all my resources in one place where they could be squandered, it's my fault. But if I actually put feet to my faith and really FEED people. Really open my home to those loneliest at church, or take a meal to a shut-in I know, I'll have that much less for which to answer.

**Disclaimer ** I am posting while having had only 2 cups of coffee, and in the tiny window so I cannot see the rest of my post. Rest assured, if I'm rambling too much I'll fix it! LOL

Do you all have a Angel Food Ministry in your area? You can it on the internet easily. You pay 28 and get 60 dollars worth of food for the month. Income is not important. Check into it please.

Do you all have a Angel Food Ministry in your area? You can it on the internet easily. You pay 28 and get 60 dollars worth of food for the month. Income is not important. Check into it please.

$60 worth of food???
I have seen the food lists they put out. There is no way that is $60 worth of food...unless they are talking about the highest priced stores.

There are certainly lazy scammers out there.

But there are more people who just genuinely don't have enough. First, 50% of food stamp beneficiaries are children, and I'm okay with feeding a few scammers in order to ensure that babies have full bellies. I do think that private food pantries are quite wise to require people to fill out forms and not giving as much to the cell phone talkers carrying a designer purse.

For a school project I recently interviewed the director of a local SHARE program--it's similar to Angel Food Ministries. She said that many elderly people are almost out of food by the time their SHARE box arrives towards the end of the month. The problem? They have to pay so much for housing, transportation and medical care that there's not much left over for food.

For a school project I recently interviewed the director of a local SHARE program--it's similar to Angel Food Ministries. She said that many elderly people are almost out of food by the time their SHARE box arrives towards the end of the month. The problem? They have to pay so much for housing, transportation and medical care that there's not much left over for food.

Sadly, this is very true. I participated in SHARE for years, until Catholic Charities withdrew its support, and most locations closed. Our pick-up location was at a Church near a low-income senior high rise. So many of the participants lived at the high rise that boxes were packed and delivered to them by volunteers. Distribution days were usually the 3rd Saturday of the month, and people always told us that SHARE packages carried them through till the next Social Security check.