No Food Stamps in Atlanta

There is a problem with people not getting food stamps in Atlanta, GA. The system has created a generation of people who depend on govt, for something as basic as food. This country is in sad shape when people can't feed themselves without the govt handing them food.

I can't even feed my 6 kids says one woman. I pity anyone who can't provide the basics for themselves.

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Worked my entire life at min wage fast food. I'm 38. have an almost 17 year old son. When I got unemployed 9 months back, my friends and familly had to beg and talk me into getting food stamps to feed me and my son. I was SO prideful that we'd eat croutons and saltine crackers for our meals for about a month, month and a half before people realized what was going on. Looking back I was an idiot but man..........

I hate the stigma of being on them, of losing my pride, but my god have they been a blessing. I have actively sought work and just may finally have a FULL TIME job at Subway. I'll know Monday. I can't wait. Much as the stamps have saved our life and health, I have been on them too long now (about 6 months) and crave supporting my own fridge. But i'll tell you what, those who milk the system give it a bad name and it's a shame. For honest folk such as myself who have to be begged to use them, they ARE a life saver - not a pride saver by any means, but a life saver. I just pray I get this job so I can get off them and let someone else who desperately needs them HAVE them. I haven't even taken unemployment due to the pride and how people look at you, my self paid into it or NOT.

I sometimes ponder if the same stigma will be on social security when I and my fellow citizens reach retirement stage? Scary thought, that.

food should be a basic human right for all people of all nations...

6 kids!!??? Maybe the government should hand out birth control instead!? There are too many people having tooo many kids..
I can understand tough times and all.. but really... 6 kids!??? Unless you have your own tv show, who the heck can afford to feed that many kids? 1 or 2 is hard enough most times!

reply to post by sarra1833

Could be beta testing to see how these people will react to such a situation.It's sad when people have so many children and solely depend on their government for their own food and provisions.Let's continue to keep an eye on this and see if their is a trend.Cuz if their will be riots this will cause riots.
I did some looking around and this seems to have been tweeted all over the place.

reply to post by sarra1833


Your situation is what food stamps were intended for not as a way to permanently feed your family. These people are abusing the system. Everyone knows that people can fall on hard times and deserve help occasionally. This program was not intended to be a way of life for people.

reply to post by sarra1833


Dear sarra1833,

Just so you know, I am happy to see my tax dollars used to help people like you through tough times and the times are certainly hard right now. There are a lot of people who never thought they would be unemployed or having to take assistance from the government; but, for many there is no other choice. I am glad that I still have my job; but, that could go away at anytime to. Be well and good luck with that job.

reply to post by sarra1833


This is exactly what food stamps are for. My mother was in college, working 2 jobs and trying to support 3 kids after a divorce. My grandparents had to help feed and clothe us when my dead beat dad wouldn't. My mom took a huge blow to her pride to finally go on food stamps. But, in the long run, it helped her finish her degree and get a job that would support all of us and then some. I applaud you for doing what you had to do to support you and your son. Also, you were actively trying to find work. I hope you get your job at Subway. You are a perfect example of how the system is supposed to work. The gov't isn't supposed to support entire families for infinite amounts of time. Its to help people, who get knocked down, to get back up again....

I had an employee who worked very good (back when I was working and a manager)...he was in a lower level job - that of healthcare aid. They had *8* kids. They were religious and sorta like the Duggers - they believed that children were a blessing and that birth control was wrong for them.
Anyway, they were on food stamps though they both worked full time.

I don't live in Atlanta proper, but I do live in the Atlanta metropolitan area - and I do have a relative who receives food stamps for his family. I just called him and he assures me that he received his alotment just a few days ago.

reply to post by Weeeden

6 kids!!??? Maybe the government should hand out birth control instead!?

How about we not and start making people take responsibility for themselves and pay for their own birth control and lives!
I do believe there is a place for welfare, divorce, abuse,disability, death of a spouse..etc. These people look like they can work to me, well the cancer lady maybe different, but the rest look able.

This is scary, because it shows how totally unprepared and dependent some people have become.

Say we go into a deep depression, how many of these people who have lived for generation on aid could survive, we haven't been doing them any favors.

I am all for assisting those in need who are sick, or those who work and get supplemental food stamps, I think if you are able-bodied, and your kids are in school, you need to work, if you can't find work they need to put these people in programs that will teach them a skill, I think it should be required,

They should require drug testing, if you test positive then you either go into a program or forfeit your aid.

First off, thank you everyone. I appreciate the kind loving words.

Second, I'm in college online getting a bachelors in Web and Graphic Design. I know many people in school or just out and seems no matter what field one is in, there is no work for them even upon getting out. I know more RN's, more Web Designers, etc etc who are forced to go to min wage jobs to work. Add that lovely loan repayment that kicks in 6 months after you get out and woah....... it just gets worse. Maybe it's best to forego that degree and stay min wage. I mean.... it's terrifying that even a degree has no job potential. The fact I'll have a bachelors and still have to work fast food or other min wage job is depressing. When I do work and get part time (as most just hire that now a days even though Subway will give me full time thank GOD....), it's hard to get by with rent, bills etc. Add on a 4oo-700/mth loan repayment? I'll be homeless guaranteed. Rent, food, bills, gas to get to and from work or pay that loan back? I think the loan moves to front priority. O_O

How awful and discouraging. The fact people with no education can't even get work is ridiculous. I know a lot of food stamp recipients are not motivated to find work, but even those of us who /are/, get turned down over and over and over. For each job opened, there are 30 people + applying. That's a kind of lottery we're all forced to play - and it's FAR worse than playing the lotto money lottery. Something has to give. Fast.

Else we're all going to be in some huge, huge, huge trouble. Not just us poor but others who's taxes could be affected for it, or whatever the case could/will be.

Originally posted by Daedal
reply to post by sarra1833

 

Could be beta testing to see how these people will react to such a situation.It's sad when people have so many children and solely depend on their government for their own food and provisions.Let's continue to keep an eye on this and see if their is a trend.Cuz if their will be riots this will cause riots.
I did some looking around and this seems to have been tweeted all over the place.

edit on 13-8-2011 by Daedal because: Added text

Scarey, isn't it? I expect full-blown riots, if it comes to this and Atlanta could be a testing ground.

I see nothing wrong with people taking advantage when hard luck comes about and even unemployment, which every working person pays into, but it's the totally dependent ones that consistently take advantage that irks me...like my free-loading cousin.

reply to post by sarra1833

I know a lot of food stamp recipients are not motivated to find work, but even those of us who /are/, get turned down over and over and over. For each job opened, there are 30 people + applying.

I was on food stamps years ago when I was a young mother, when my kids entered school I had to be actively looking for work and show proof, what ever happened to that program?

I vaguely remember a friend in the early 90's who was on unemployment and she had to actively look and show proof. I didn't know they did that for foodstamps as well. I think it'd be a good idea. Would help the honest recepient (like myself) feel more pride that 'Look, I'm not milking you; I /am/ trying hard, see?' - and would maybe help get the dependent-upons something to /do/; look for work.

I don't know. Maybe most aren't like me. I look at it as 'hey, you may get less money but it's YOUR money, YOU'RE making it yourself'. That to me is pride. Good pride. I'd rather work and earn 800/mth than get 1200/mth handed to me from the govt knowing others worse off than me can use it. Seriously. Earning makes one feel a lot better than having it handed to you just because.

I wish more people had that mind set. What ever happened to pride in one's work? Self sufficience? Self pride? Love? Respect? etc?

reply to post by sarra1833


Don't let the shame of those who collect food stamps though fraudulent means be yours! It is people like you that the program was established for. Most of us, sooner or later, do fall on hard times, some harder than others, but that doesn't mean that one should feel shame for it. I have no doubt that when you feel you don't need them anymore, you will voluntarily quit accepting them. This makes me VERY proud of you!

Though I sincerely hope you get a job soon, if you don't... MARCH YOUR BUTT DOWN TO YOUR LOCAL UNEMPLOYMENT OFFICE and see if you are eligible. There should be no shame in collecting benefits if you are honest about it. Your previous employers paid for Unemployment Insurance to cover people who become unemployed through "no fault of their own". If you paid for auto insurance and had an accident, would you turn down a check for damages because of your pride? I think not! It's the same thing!

Good luck to you!

See ya,
Milt

PS:
I noticed you live in Illinois. I lived in Zion for six years. Do you know of it?

Just curious, but what does the worlds richest and most powerful country that equates socialism to communism and nazism need food stamps for?

Just asking.

This is just a hunch, but I bet when all is said and done, they will determine that it was employee ineptitude that caused this snafu. That will be the official story. However, on camera, one of the DHHS employees admitted that they had suffered a cut in their funds. Could also have been a creative way to shift funds temporarily. I will be interested to see how this plays out.

As far as the benefit recipients, I would like to add my two cents to the fray. It is very difficult for a single parent to work full time when they have young children. Even two parent homes can suffer because one parent needs to be there for the kids. Now there are those who will say, "they can put those kids in child care". Really. Only some states aid some families with child care costs. I was working when my daughter was small, we were fortunate to find a private party to watch our daughter for about half the rate of a standard child care facility. We were fortunate enough, with both of us working, not to have to request assistance. Others are not so fortunate.

The jobs that are available for people in the circumstances to receive aid are usually minimum wage or slightly over and provide less than 40 hours a week. At $7.25/ hr. for an average 32 hour week that is Gross pay of $232.00. When I paid child care for my daughter 13 years ago that was $90.00 per week when the going rate was $150.00. How many families can make it on $150.00 per week for all expenses, or even with two incomes $382.00 using my 13 year old amount for childcare costs? And lets not even consider the harm caused by children being raised by strangers.

I agree the system is seriously flawed. It enables people to ride along not contributing. But everyone in the system is not a freeloader. And you absolutely cannot judge a book by its cover. Just because someone looks "fit enough" to work, doesn't mean they are. There are many illnesses and medical conditions which work on the inside not the outside.

Now, back to topic, just imagine if you were the person expecting your funds to be there today so you can go grocery shopping for the items that were used up five days ago. Regardless of why you were at that point, how would you feel about it. The system has created the dependence, our society has allowed it by not giving a damn about the less fortunate and allowing the government to subsidize these people instead of the families, programs and churches who used to have that task.

The habit has been fixed and getting off the drug of assistance is just as hard as any other addiction because there is not a bridge from assistance to full time work that I know of, anyway. And, of course, there are the baby mommas who do it for the source of income. But THAT is another story. BT

reply to post by JennaDarling

Just curious, but what does the worlds richest and most powerful country that equates socialism to communism and nazism need food stamps for?

What's your purpose for "hiding" an insult within a stupid question? I already know you don't like the United States! So what? I don't particularly like you either.

If you don't like the United States, start a thread on it, but honestly, I really don't care!

See ya,
Milt