Housing Costs, Layoffs Boost Need for Food Banks

[UpInArms]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-adna-food1aug01,1,6522850.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

(free registration or try www.bugmenot.com)

DELANCO, N.J. — The Catholic Charities food bank here is tucked in the corner of a shopping mall. Its clients, who come from generally affluent suburbs, often felt disbelief when hard times compelled them to seek help.

<snip>

"Our affiliates all tell us, 'We've never seen so many people come in who we've never seen before, who say they need help just this one time,' " said Kevin Seggelke, CEO of Denver-based Food Bank of the Rockies.

Many of the Denver-area newcomers recently lost good-paying jobs with high-tech firms, and — unemployed or forced into low-paid work — fell behind on mortgage and car payments, Seggelke said.

According to the Agriculture Department, 11% of U.S. families — 34.9 million people — are "food insecure," meaning they lack the means to ensure themselves of healthy meals and are vulnerable to at least a mild form of chronic malnutrition. A U.S. Conference of Mayors survey of 25 cities found that demand at food banks rose 17% in 2003, with Denver and Trenton, N.J., experiencing the biggest surges in families seeking help.

...more...

[Cobalt Violet]

1. The cost of voting against your own economic interest.

The middle class has repeated voted for their own extinction.

[Warpy]

2. Oh? What the hell have the Democrats offered lately

but the same damned antilabor, procorporate, "free trade" crapola that has been killing them for the past 40 years?

Kerry had better figure out that the middle class is an artificial construct in capitalism. If you want a large, stable one, you'll have to create the conditions that foster it, otherwise you'll end up with a tiny aristocracy and a vast, desperate underclass. He'd better be able to convince Congress of that, and reverse the 40 years of stupid tax, antiunion and antitariff policy that has been killing us.

That's a tall order for anyone. However, if he doesn't at least start the process, we're likely be under the GOP jackboot again after the 2008 election. At least they offer the illusion of tax cuts.

[schultzee]

7. If the middle class does not get organized.....well, we will just become

part of the poor.

[InkAddict]

10. What a hateful generalization!

[wishlist]

3. Food Banks and charities are stretched beyond capacity all over U.S.

I have been noticing random reports from volunteers and workers at the food banks in various newspaper articles lately. I attended a rally for N.C. Senate candidate Erskine Bowles where a man in the crowd spoke up about increased poverty he has seen working with N.C. food banks and how they cannot meet the great demand this year. Erskine talked about raising the minimum wage and changing government policies and tax incentives to encourage job creation.

It is not surprising because prices for food, energy and health care are going through the roof. There is less stigma and red tape in getting help from them compared to going down to the social service offices plus it is increasingly difficult to get emergency or short term help from official social services. In fact, government workers at places like the Social Security offices routinely refer people to the charities for help because the government does not provide much in the way of quick emergency help.

[Boomer]

5. Same for West Virginia Panhandle

My household donates goods to a local food bank that serves many elderly and a large vet population (the town has a veteran's hospital). There simply isn't enough food to meet demand, and according to the food bank volunteers the level of donations has gone down since 9/11 rather than up. That information floored me -- I would have expected the opposite.

The guidelines for donations paint an even bleaker picture: try to donate foods that don't require cooking or refrigeration because many of the recipients don't have electricity.

Perhaps we need to start distributing solar ovens, they way aid groups do in developing 3rd world nations.

[sadiesworld]

6. I imagine the level of donations has decreased...

b/c many of the former donors are now recipients.

We are seeing the shortages here in Louisville as well. We had an emergency shortage a couple of months ago. Fortunately, a crisis was averted through additional food donations and a rather large cash donation from an anonymous donor.

I forgot to pick up my weekly pre-packaged (people must get tired of mac n' cheese, tuna, and fruit cocktail) donation at the grocery Friday. This thread is just what I needed to goad me into picking up two this week.

What a sad commentary on the current state of our nation. :(

[Boomer]

9. Poor people like treats, too

Yes, we also try to add some special item -- even it's just one -- to our donation. Eating only the cheapest generic brand foods must be so tiresome and demoralizing.

[drthais]

4. from a Food Bank volunteer

here in my smal town in Louisiana
we have seen over 100% increase in folks coming to the food bank
over the past 6 months or so
every week we literally run out of food
and these people can only come in once a month

yes, there is hunger
and yes, people are desperate
it is very sad

every week I ask myself
...if each of us were to only give
two hours a week helping those in need in our own communities
(the food bank is only open two hours on Tuesday mornings)
we could make so much progress....

that said, it took me months to even find out IF
there was a food bank in my community
it was hidden in the back of town
I had to really dig to discover it in the first place

[llmart]

8. Oh, quit your whining already.....

Don't you know we've got to ship our money to Iraq to help them people first?

[cap]

11. aye, there's the rub...

we don't feed the Iraqis, they make the security situation worse and more of our boys get killed.

And we dont' take care of our own either -- making our own less tolerant of helping the Iraqis.