In key swing states, the lines at food banks are growing longer

NBC News ^ | 10/26/2024 | Shannon Pettypiece

[Drew68]

Across the rural communities and industrial towns of western Michigan, semitrucks hauling thousands of pounds of food are pulling up to church parking lots and community centers where growing lines of people are waiting for a few boxes of free groceries.

[Drew68]

I stumbled upon this article lurking over at DU where I enjoy bathing myself in their misery and laughing at their delusions.

They had two takeaways: One, Senior NBC Reporter Shannon Pettypiece must be a partisan Trumper hack for reporting on this so close to the election and two, these idiots standing in line at food banks just don't understand the data from Nobel-winning economists explaining to them how great things are right now!

[Mark]

NOBODY could have seen this happening! (/S)

[Lizavetta]

Imagine the lines if I were to set up a car bank, where those in need of a car could walk right in. No proof of income required.

Why would a food bank be any different? If it's free you will have customers, guaranteed.

[Sequoyah101]

A system has been created to only give handouts and create total dependents. It does not ever intend to provide a hand up or assistance. It is broken. The other sad fact is that there is a dependent class, and it is a big one, of people who will never be anything else and they are not discouraged in the least from continuing to grow their number of miserable, useless and lost souls.

[Sequoyah101]

Good point. To assume there is qualification going on would be wrong?

[Larry Lucido]

I recommend sending muffin stumps.

[CatOwner]

A system has been created to only give handouts and create total dependents. It does not ever intend to provide a hand up or assistance. It is broken. The other sad fact is that there is a dependent class, and it is a big one, of people who will never be anything else and they are not discouraged in the least from continuing to grow their number of miserable, useless and lost souls.

We are taught to try and help those in need, especially family and friends. But with half the country wanting to see conservatives dead or suffering, especially white male conservatives, I sense I am wasting my time being compassionate. Yeah, not Christian at all, but that's where the liberals have taken us.

[know.your.why]

How many in the lines speak English?

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Yes. However most people that go to the food bank are actually in need. It takes time to go and you are not guaranteed to get anything out of waiting for a couple of hours for your box of food.

If you are unemployed you might have the time to waste but if you have a job and a family that is a lot of time to spend with the possibility of little or no reward.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Good point. To assume there is qualification going on would be wrong?

Food banks are usually private charities and you may have to qualify (remember the one that would only allow you in if you were a BIPOC?) but for the most part it is go and ask.

[The Duke]

"...I sense I am wasting my time being compassionate."

Ditto.

[metmom]

We are taught to try and help those in need, especially family and friends. But with half the country wanting to see conservatives dead or suffering, especially white male conservatives, I sense I am wasting my time being compassionate. Yeah, not Christian at all, but that's where the liberals have taken us.

Just do your charity judiciously.

I doubt God intended us to support freeloaders

[metmom]

How many in the lines speak English?

I was wondering the same thing.

[metmom]

Yes. However most people that go to the food bank are actually in need. It takes time to go and you are not guaranteed to get anything out of waiting for a couple of hours for your box of food.

Considering the cars (as in large, late model SUVs) I used to see at the local food bank down the street, I'm not so sure about that.

Some people will do anything for free stuff.

[Lizavetta]

most people that go to the food bank are actually in need.

How on earth do you know that? There is no proof of income, no proof of need. No proof of nothing.

And people who don't work have all the time in the world to stand in line. Don't be naive to think grifters won't take advantage of charity.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

Because I work giving out food boxes once a week.

I know the people.

[sauropod]

Bkmk

[Republican Wildcat]

But I thought the Harris/Biden economy was doing so well it was leaving Republicans “speechless” ...

[Organic Panic]

Well if they vote for democrats they will have shorter lines

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

They will. But they are not the majority.

People do not stand in line for cans of mixed vegetables, bags of dried beans, cottage cheese, low fat yogurt, potatoes and apples for the fun of it.

We don't hand out chips and dip.

Now during the Great Silliness things were different. We got lots of food that was for the restaurant market and it was pretty nice. And people would pull up, we would hand them a box and lots of them would take a few things out and toss the rest away.

That does not happen any more.