Driving to a food bank?

I heard a program on NPR this morning, and the text and audio are available at this link.

I have to say I'm glad that food banks are there to help people in need, and although I myself never used them, at some points in my life I had to make do with extremely limited resources. Which brings me to the phrase in the article that ticked me off: apparently, serving a lunch to your kid is a burden. Well duh. So is parenthood in general.

I'm a father and I've cooked for my kids on many occasions. If one doesn't have much money, is it still a financially mortal blow to cook some beans and rice? A baked potato with a dollop of sour cream? Lettuce and tomato salad for a 8 year old? A two-egg omelette? Maybe it'll run you a whopping 40 cents.

I really don't get it. One drives to a food bank to collect food, burning a non-trivial amount of money as gasoline. At the same time, they have trouble spending a few pennies and a few minutes of their time to feed the kid.

What's wrong with this picture?

i used to go to the foodbank. i had a car. The foodbanks around here would give you quite a decent amount of food if you told them you were a family. What really burned me up is for a while my parents were going...and my dad always wanted us go bring him a freakin moolatte from dairy queen wtf?

But when i really needed it, it was just me. The church was on the same block and i lived at a downtown apartment with no parking, and the road didnt actually go all the way to the church, but the sidewalk did. Woulda been farther to walk to get my car than go to the food bank.

Welfare gives people free cars here as long as they can flunk an iq test.

Lots of people that dont need the food go. It really pisses me off. my ex used to all the time.

The number fluctuates in my head a little but to me it appears as if at least half of the children born these days are born to people who didn't plan for them or want them at all. So now you're a scumbag with kids that you don't like or want, are you going to spend your money on beer and motorcycle parts or your child's welfare and future? I've spent time looking around and I know there are enough people choosing number one that it really leaves me with little hope.

i used to go to the foodbank. i had a car. The foodbanks around here would give you quite a decent amount of food if you told them you were a family. What really burned me up is for a while my parents were going...and my dad always wanted us go bring him a freakin moolatte from dairy queen wtf?

But when i really needed it, it was just me. The church was on the same block and i lived at a downtown apartment with no parking, and the road didnt actually go all the way to the church, but the sidewalk did. Woulda been farther to walk to get my car than go to the food bank.

Welfare gives people free cars here as long as they can flunk an iq test.

Lots of people that dont need the food go. It really pisses me off. my ex used to all the time.

reply to post by buddhasystem

I volunteer at our food pantry here in our city. A lot of people drive in.. especially the ones from far away and many borrow cars. They are embarrassed about certain things and blurt them out.. like thats not my car or we just lost our jobs and they will be taking the car soon, etc. There are all kinds of circumstances and there are also the scammers. We are so low on food and so many more new people that we have to become the food nazis... you have to show proof of being on medicaid and receiving energy assistance or etc for us to give you the amount we have allotted. Im talking a whole wagon full for a family and etc. Most folks come in at the end of the month when their stamps run out.. with our rising food prices here, thats MOST of the people.

Anyway, there are MANY scenarios. Not everyone can walk in downtrodden and begging.. or should they.

reply to post by buddhasystem


In many areas in the U.S. you cannot survive without a car as public transport is lacking. Furthermore, they may have bought that car before they fell on hard times. But yeah, I get what you are saying.

reply to post by buddhasystem


I have used the food pantry before, is that the same thing? Any how, a food pantry is a church run low income food stuffs program. I was down and out so to speak, a week until payday and out of almost everything. A neighbor suggested I try the food pantry. It got me through a couple of rough patches now over the years. Having said that, what's the beef with driving there? I lived in rural Indiana at the time, and nothing is within walking distance, everyone has a car and drive, as there is no public transportation at all. When it is 14 miles to the food pantry, walking home with a box of canned goods bigger than I am is not somthing that can happen in the real world.

Now I live in Plainfield, but we don't have any public transportation here either.

i went along to help a friend at a soup kitchen a few times which is run by a church group only to see people i knew who drink most of there money. and people who work put out there hands for food parcels it disgusted me ok if you need it but i would rather live on light than admit defeat .

I live in a very rural area. The 8...yes, 8 little churches in my little town, have had to post on their signs...sorry, out of food.

They try to help as many people they can, but, the donations aren't coming in like they used to. Also, our little Sat. morning farmer's market, has now, a system set up, where WIC cards can be used to purchase paper tickets from the office. Each ticket equals $1.00, tickets to be used to purchase produce and food items ONLY. The seller then trades the paper tickets to the office for the money. It works really well, for the most part. The system was set up through the Agriculture dept. up here.

But, there are still those who try to use their WIC/foodstamps, to purchase nonfood items. I make and sell, hand made fancy high end organic soaps, lotions and what not. All Spa products. I still get Mothers, with kids in tow, trying to buy expensive stuff from me, with WIC tickets. I won't sell it to them. They get pi**ed too. I tell them to buy food for their families, that's what it's for.

Part of the problem, I think, is a segment of society that thinks everything...and I mean *everything*, should be handed to them. That if they are unhappy with anything in their lives, it's someone elses' fault. Right down to making a freaking meal for their kids. That government should shoulder all the parental responsibility of feeding their kids. There are some kids up here, that only get a real meal in school or church on Sunday, when the old women make a morning breakfast for kids attending. It's wrong...just plain wrong when parents hold no responsibility for their own children

Des

Originally posted by phroziac
i used to go to the foodbank. i had a car. The foodbanks around here would give you quite a decent amount of food if you told them you were a family. What really burned me up is for a while my parents were going...and my dad always wanted us go bring him a freakin moolatte from dairy queen wtf?

But when i really needed it, it was just me. The church was on the same block and i lived at a downtown apartment with no parking, and the road didnt actually go all the way to the church, but the sidewalk did. Woulda been farther to walk to get my car than go to the food bank.

Welfare gives people free cars here as long as they can flunk an iq test.

Lots of people that dont need the food go. It really pisses me off. my ex used to all the time.

wow free cars for people on benefits & free cell phones too & they call the uk a nanny state .a lot of working people over the pond cannot afford to drive gas is $10 a gallon $4 for a 2 mile bus trip god bless america

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by buddhasystem

 

...A neighbor suggested I try the food pantry. It got me through a couple of rough patches now over the years.

As I said at the very start, I'm glad there is food assistance.

Having said that, what's the beef with driving there? I lived in rural Indiana at the time, and nothing is within walking distance, everyone has a car and drive, as there is no public transportation at all. When it is 14 miles to the food pantry, walking home with a box of canned goods bigger than I am is not somthing that can happen in the real world.

No beef, really.

In my area it's not easy (and often impossible) to get around just on public transport. I get that. In the program, they mentioned people from Bridgeport -- I do know both places mentioned rather well, and it's roughly 18 miles away that makes 36 miles round trip so it's like 1.5 to 2 gallons of gas in some cases. That's $8. If you really are starving, this strikes me as a non-trivial amount of money. Will buy you plenty of rice and beans.

reply to post by buddhasystem


The average person doesn't realize that though. In fact most people don't realize how to save on their food bill. It requires a certain about of strategy most people don't think about.

reply to post by geobro


Your forgetting too though. That England is the size of a small state, not even one of our big ones. Indiana is very spread out, and we aren't even one of the big western states. here it is 30 or 40 miles inbetween cities at the least most of the time. Around Indianapolis is one of the exeptions.

reply to post by buddhasystem


OIC, you were commenting on an area in specific. I got ya, I know nothing of the area in question. I suppose it makes sense to me now OP. SnF. Good point.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


i live in the highlands of scotland & it is a long way from anywhere we are not even considered part of the uk by our postal service 30 or 40 miles here is close 150 plus is normal

reply to post by Destinyone

WOW des i think you confusing EBT card i.e. food stamps for WIC. wic is a great program that is just a blank check only for milk eggs bread peanut butter juice And cereal. but there a horibal stigma for unfortunate folks who use them

wow you tell people how to spend ther Gov. assistance funds?

that is so incredibly RUDE i dont even know what to say
i dont blame the good people who get pissed off at you

Originally posted by jplaysguitar
reply to post by Destinyone

 

WOW des i think you confusing EBT card i.e. food stamps for WIC. wic is a great program that is just a blank check only for milk eggs bread peanut butter juice And cereal.

Not entirely true. There is a PDF file here which details authorized foods. Fruits and veggies are covered really, really well. I don't wish anyone to be on WIC but this is a pretty sweet list IMHO.

Originally posted by jplaysguitar
reply to post by Destinyone

 

WOW des i think you confusing EBT card i.e. food stamps for WIC. wic is a great program that is just a blank check only for milk eggs bread peanut butter juice And cereal. but there a horibal stigma for unfortunate folks who use them

wow you tell people how to spend ther Gov. assistance funds?

that is so incredibly RUDE i dont even know what to say
i dont blame the good people who get pissed off at you

OK...here we go...again. I pay taxes, have for over 50 years. I started working at 12 years old. Paying taxes that long, and still do. All assistance programs are funded with our taxes. Yes, some people really do need a hand, not a hand out. I'm all for giving a hand.

Now, when someone on assistance for food for their family is out shopping, and they try to buy the products I make to sell, so I can support MYSELF, and keep PAYING TAXES, and they want to spend OUR TAXES on luxury soaps I make, starting at $5.00 per bar, and going up from there....well...it chaps my A$$.

It doesn't chap my a$$ when they are buying FOOD. But trying to buy $50.00 worth of soaps, lotions and non-essential luxury items does. Are you honestly saying that I should let them spend OUR tax money on these things...

That makes me as much of a CHEAT, as they are...doesn't it...

This only tells me....you don't pay taxes....

Des

Originally posted by Destinyone
It doesn't chap my a$$ when they are buying FOOD. But trying to buy $50.00 worth of soaps, lotions and non-essential luxury items does.

I'm all for people buying FOOD, but even then would argue they need to use common sense. I saw a person using their benefits card to buy a large box of strawberries at full ticket price, no sale no nothing, and it's a few bucks. My family does planning when going out to shop, look at circulars etc. We do have money... But maybe that's exactly why.

I think what prompted my OP was that I find it deplorable that some (if not many) people have zero education in, and knowledge of, simple life smarts. I can cook a pretty filling veggie soup for two for 50 cents worth of produce, why can't they?

reply to post by buddhasystem


Because they don't have to. We do, in order to be self sufficient. Big difference between earning it, and getting it.

I don't object in any way, someone who *honestly* is using assistance programs, and Lord knows there are an abundance of them, to assist those who need it. I do object to those who take advantage of those programs. We pay for those programs, yet, don't use them for ourselves. I've met in real life, people who are 3rd. generation welfare families. They have zero inclination to do anything different in their lives. I've offered good paying jobs to some of them in the past, only to be told, only if I pay them cash, under the table. They didn't want a job that might cause them to lose any assistance benefits.

I don't know of any solution. I do know, retirement for me, is a dream of the past. I'll be working until the day I die.

So much of my savings have been eaten by higher property taxes, new county taxes that seem to pop up like weeds.

Oh well.....

Des