Struggling U.S. Families Threatened by Food Stamp Cuts

Inter Press Service ^ | October 17, 2013 | Ramy Srour

[itssme]

How would you describe a private charity?

[dinodino]

If I needed charity, I would go to the Catholic food bank—not to the Federal Government, like a leech.

[itssme]

The food pantries I'm talking ARE the various denominational church sponsored pantries. Here in Illinois, there is an non-for-profit organization called the Greater Northern Illinois Food Bank. They provide deliveries of foods donated to the Bank by various companies, to name one source. You can google it for further info. The Bank delivers donated food to various food pantries in the specific counties that are covered by the GNIFB. The church pantries that I know of do not receive any assistance from the government. They work with the GNIFB only, and accept donations of used clothing and household wares as well from individual donors, that are made available to those who go the the Pantry. They cannot discriminate and accept only those they “think” may be more deserving than others of receiving food and clothing assistance. When you first visit a pantry, you sign in and they will ask for your name and address, the number of people in your family...I'm not sure if they ask for an ID. You are given a punch card that you must bring with you when you come to the Pantry. The pantry, in this one particular case, is open two days a week, and you are allowed two visits per month. You bring your punch card with you and it is punched and dated to guarantee that you don't use the services of the pantry more times per month than is allowed, and then you are given a number ticket. You're then seated and you wait to hear your number called. They allow so many people into the Pantry at one time, and they have volunteers stationed at different sections of the pantry to inform people of what foods they can take and the quantity of each item available. It's done in a very organized fashion, and they don't allow anyone to bump anyone in line, or in the case of illegal aliens who feel they can hold spaces in lines for their friends, while everyone else lines up in single file, the Pantry has on a few occasions made the announcement that “This is America and we speak English here. You are not allowed to save places for your friends ahead of others who are waiting in single file lines to enter.” Some of these churches that are being overloaded with illegals speak out when people don't follow the Pantry rules. Children are given used books to read and color, and all is overseen by a volunteer. This church runs a tight ship and everything is orderly and the crowds civil. It takes about three hours or less to get in and out, depending on the number of people. I can only speak for church pantries located in certain northern illiois counties.

[itssme]

See my post #63.

[Lizavetta]

America is the only country with fat poor people.

My thoughts exactly. When have you ever seen a seriously skinny poor person? Without a phone? The Section 8 housing neighborhood in my town has a satellite dish on almost every roof. This is poor?!

I live behind an elementary school. Twice a month the cars pull up, all way newer than mine, to collect bags of taxpayer-funded groceries because they have a low income child in that school. They can afford a newer car but qualify as low income .... amazing.

[GeronL]

This is not a cut, this is an end of a temporary increase

[GeronL]

I think there are about 4 churches sponsoring a jointly-run food bank in this town.

[upchuck]

So I scratch my head trying to figure out why we have so many on welfare...

It's because they are LAZY. Were not brought up properly and chances are their kids aren't either. NO work ethic.

[Texas resident]

Mr. Valentine doesn’t have any family?
He doesn’t have any Marine buddies?

something stinks with this story.