Posted on 12/16/2011 8:51:20 PM PST by bgill
The pantry served about 200 families per month in 2010. Now, that number is up to 500 families due to the bad economy and recent wildfires.
"I have never seen it this bad," said Sue Kennedy, the pantry's executive director.
Items needed include: •Canned corn •Canned green beans •Canned black eyed peas •Water •Instant potatoes •Canned chili •Diapers •Cake Mixes
(Excerpt) Read more at kxan.com ...
Canned black eyed peas - 1) many people won't eat black eyed peas, 2) they're one of the more expensive canned vegetables, and 3) they're cheaper in the dried form
Water - Excuse me, but bottled water is NOT a necessity. Turn on the tap.
Instant potatoes - A box of instant potatoes costs as much as a bag of potatoes that serves more. The article shows a picture of fresh bread and talks about turkeys and hams so it's not about shelf life so why not potatoes which have a decent shelf life.
Canned chili - Chili isn't cheap. If they're wanting a protein, there are cheaper proteins to be had.
Cake Mixes - While cheaper mixes are around a dollar a box, it's cheaper to give them the ingredients to make a cake from scratch. Sorry, but if you have to go to the food bank, you do NOT need junk food like cake.
Normally I would agree with you but some of the demand is up because the wildfires took everything some of these people had - including a tap to turn on for water or access to their well. Canned vegetables while generally more expensive than dried can be warmed up in a microwave if they are among the lucky ones, on the edge of a camp fire or eaten cold out of a can for those that don’t have a stove or a pan to cook in. Many of the people in some of these areas which were destroyed lived a meager life to begin with. I know a little compassion at Christmas for these normally totally self-sufficient people would be appreciated.
As for the rest... Most younger folks these days don't know how to/can't cook dried beans.
Canned chili, on sale, discount brands, can be a big protein/fat bang for the buck. But you have to be able to convert grams of protein/$ in your head. Our schools haven't prepared kids for that in 2 generations.
New Year's is coming up. You would be suprised at how many folks will actually eat black-eyed peas this time of year.
I did spend a lot of time as a food service professional.
/johnny
Like there aren’t directions for cooking dried peas on the label. Pot of water and peas. That town is one step above Podunkville so it’s not like the middle of Manhattan where there’s not an older relative or neighbor to ask how to boil water. By the time they get donations of black eyed peas, New Years will likely be over with.
Diced onion, bacon or fatback, salt and pepper make a heck of a difference. So does a pre-soak.
There is a very real thing called menu fatigue. You might want to study it.
And lots of folks younger than 30 may not even have a pot to boil water in.
Never underestimate the stupidity of publik skool graduates.
Liberals wanted a dependent population... they have them. Thanks to public schools.
/johnny
Oh, so you’re saying they have a microwave but not running water? Brilliant.
The one fire near Marble Falls did not destroy any homes so get your facts straight. Wells are in the ground so are relatively save from fire. Yes, the electrical pump might be a loss but lift the lid and bail out the water. BTDT, doesn’t take a rocket scientist. Camp fire? Really? A bit dramatic, huh. If there were 500 people sitting around a camp fire eating out of cans, that would be making headlines, CPS would have been out in full force and it would have been cleared up long before December. Again, quit telling tales.
Nice to have compassion at Christmas but what about the other 364 days?
These are not the kind of wells that Lassie runs and tells Timmy someone has fallen down. It’s probably a 1” pipe hooked to an electric pump. So, they can’t just remove the lid and dip a bucket in it.
If you ever get to the place these people are in, you’ll be grateful for a can of black eyed peas (heaving in protein).
Merry Christmas
You’re wrong.
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