Food Pantries Struggling with Shortages

Yahoooooo! ^ | November 19, 2007 | Staff Writer @ AP

[mylife]

$20 to fill an SUV?

GTFO! L0L

Oh.. you mean $80 a mo for a 5 mile commute..

yup, that sounds about right

[Jaidyn]

My wife and I volunteered at an organization in Oklahoma City when we lived there that gave “assistance” to those in poverty. We quit when we learned that the “clients” were taking whatever they could and selling it. The “charity” did no means testing and many of those in “poverty” saw the handouts as a second source of income.

That's aggravating, but don't give up. I work for a religious charity organization, and it happens. Most of the time, the person is mentally ill, and cannot think ahead. We feed approximately 25 people breakfast and lunch every day. All have some form of mental illness, and some walk as far as three miles every day to eat. Our food bank is inundated with turkey, so I have to figure out many different ways to fix it. Even so, the people are thankful. We fed over 100 people yesterday, and OT students served them, as well as socialized with them. Most have no socialization, much less know how to interact with people. I had no idea how many truly needy people there are. I'm talking about mostly unemployable people who got lost in the shuffle.

[Nam Vet]

Yahoo News seems to be picking up the propaganda mantel that print journalism is losing. They (Yahoo) are so full of bad news type Barbra Streisand it's sickening.

Nam Vet

[ASOC]

Nope a Zuki, 95 model. Get 25+ mpg around town, 30+ in the summer. I drive all week before the gas guage even moves. SO about $60/month for gas. The house, more like 90 to 100 month for gas - but then the gas company has raised the rates 45% in the last two years. I cant live in the Zuki, no shower : )

I used to drive a Bug (old school) but the little Zukies with a 1600cc engine do the Bug a lot better - better milage, a heater that works (big deal here in Anchorage) and of course, 4X4. Oh, and an AM/FM radio.

[Nam Vet]

We used to give to the Oregon Food Bank until they took all the food one year and gave it to the employees of Fred Meyers who were on strike then. No wonder they were short around the holidays. Their pleas for more help have fallen on deaf ears here since then.

Nam Vet

[mylife]

Yup, The VW’s were good cars but they had loose tolerances and wasted a bunch of energy compared to todays cars. The old beetle was like 20 Mph

I get 20 Mph from a dodge ram pick up

[patton]

LOL! VW stories of the drive to grammas in the Catskills (no heat) are legend around here.

[ASOC]

LOL

We drove a Bus (Kombi) and a bug for years and years. Had an ice scraper on the dash, so we could see out. You always dressed warmly to say the least.

On the plus side, the Vdubs did not have $800 “Engine Control Modules” that would fry if you gave someone a jumpstart.....

Best I ever got was with a pretty fresh 1600 in a 73 Safari (Thing with Bus componanats) was 25 mpg. And the 55 mph national speed limit was never an issue - I never had to worry about passing anyone.

[patton]

LOL - I remember a guy in a mule cart passing us uphill, on the way to grandma’s...

[BerryDingle]

You're enjoying your day Everything's going your way Then along comes Debbie Downer. Always there to tell you 'bout a new disease A car accident or killer bees You'll beg her to spare you, "Debbie, Please!" But you can't stop Debbie Downer!

[ASOC]

ROTFLMAO

Not to mention — being blown off the road, smashed bugs on the rear window, use of a clock and not a speedometer and so on. But they were, at one time - inexpensive, easy to maintain and fun to drive - in a strapped to the hood like an Azrec sacrafice - sort of way.

Sell anything of late?

[patton]

No sales - no writing, actually. too slammed with business.

Later - we are off to Mom’s!

[Jaidyn]

We used to give to the Oregon Food Bank until they took all the food one year and gave it to the employees of Fred Meyers who were on strike then. No wonder they were short around the holidays. Their pleas for more help have fallen on deaf ears here since then.

Yikes! I'd be leery, too.

[rb22982]

You are an exception then, because most folks drive about 50-60 mi ea way

Balogney. Average is 16 miles each way. YOU are the exception.

link

[gracesdad]

“Another factor I read about in an article elsewhere is that FedGov is buying less food to prop up the farmers due to increased demand in the market. The gov donates this food (per the other article) - and this is a big factor for some food banks - they are receiving less from what may be one of the biggest “donors”.”

This is true. Our church food pantry gets stuff from the government, private business and individuals. The amount of food coming from the government is WAY, WAY down.

[ken21]

wow!

if we only had a socialist prez like hillary,

dat would be fixed, huh?

/s

[gracesdad]

My wife went to church this morning and helped feed a bunch of people. There’s no question these folks need assistance. It mostly comes from individuals and local stores, but there is some government food as well. But the government portion is way, way down, so the church is trying to make up the difference.

[driftless2]

I see it as whining. The cost of living is going up? And? The cost of living has been going up since the country was born. The key question if how much does it cost to live a decent life and have opportunities in the greatest country on earth. The answer is people can live decently far cheaper with more stuff in the U.S than anywhere else in the world. And the opportunity to better yourself is unlimited.

But the first a person has to have is the right attitude. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. In America you can get back on that horse and reach that goal better than anywhere else is the world. Period. SO NO FREAKING WHINING PLEASE!!!!

[steadfastconservative]

I agree that there are truly needy people who deserve assistance. However, it is the policy of the SVdP to investigate whether or not the people who come to them for help really are in need, otherwise it would quickly run out of money and would not be able to help anyone.

There was an opinion piece today in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, which was written by a guy who runs a food bank in Connecticut. He was complaining that just giving food away indiscriminately has created a cycle of dependency, which is correct. However, his solution is for the government to take over the work that is done by private charities and to provide free food, housing, health care, ad nauseum for the poor. He apparently does not think that this would create an even worse cycle of dependency, as Johnson’s Great Society program did. But perhaps he wants people to be dependent on government.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I’m not picking on SVDP. I shop there every week and donate often. However, I find it strange that they need a LARGER Food Pantry in just two years time when the Midwest has a very strong economy and low unemployment. And, By Golly, I’ve yet to see anyone dead from starvation in the streets with a distended belly and stick-thin arms and legs. ;)

Please understand; ‘The People’s Republik of Madistan’ IS a Sanctuary City. That explains a lot right there.