Food Pantries Turning People Away

**staceyy** · 12-27-2007, 11:47 PM

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

**Persimmon Lace** · 12-27-2007, 11:56 PM

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.

**Marie78** · 12-28-2007, 12:13 AM

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.

**monkeymia** · 12-28-2007, 03:03 AM

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

**mmy2grls** · 12-28-2007, 04:26 AM

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

**AmyBoz** · 12-28-2007, 08:59 AM

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.

**CristiK** · 12-28-2007, 10:09 AM

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!!!!!!

**Missourimom** · 12-28-2007, 10:13 AM

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.

**CristiK** · 12-28-2007, 10:18 AM

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.

**CristiK** · 12-28-2007, 10:24 AM

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...

**powerfm1** · 12-28-2007, 10:33 AM

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.

**jamie79** · 12-28-2007, 10:55 AM

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.

**CristiK** · 12-28-2007, 11:07 AM

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.

**powerfm1** · 12-28-2007, 11:10 AM

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.

**dolphin** · 12-28-2007, 03:02 PM

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.