"I don't have any food and I've got to find something because I've got three kids at home."
Words like these are spoken everyday in this country, by people just like you and me. People who can't sleep at night wondering how they will feed their children. People who have been laid off and are desperate for a job so they can put food on the table. People who shouldn't have to go hungry in a country as rich as ours.
Noweasels has organized this series of diaries to help focus our attention on the problem. Hunger is real and it may be affecting your neighbor, your family, your coworker, or a fellow Kossack.
Feeding America provides assistance to 25 million Americans through their network of 200 food banks in all 50 states. They also support 63,000 charities that include food pantries, soup kitchens and emergency shelters.
Please donate to Feeding America.
Even if you can only give $1, it will help provide 20 pounds of food and grocery products to our fellow citizens in need.
If money is short, please remember you can also support your local food banks by donating your time. They rely on volunteer support to keep these programs running, so find a volunteer program in your area.
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1 in 8 Americans will be dealing with hunger this year. Without our system of local food banks and donations from people like you, many of our fellow Americans would have nowhere to turn:
Gary, Shannon and Deanna from Tucson, Arizona
Gary and Shannon are both legally blind and Gary has suffered from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. Their primary source of income to support themselves and their daughter comes from Gary's disability checks:
At first, the family needed occasional help from the Community Food Bank of Tucson, receiving a food box once in a while. Then Gary signed up for the home-gardening program offered by the food bank. Through the program, Gary learned how to prepare soil and compost and establish a sustainable vegetable garden in his own backyard to supplement and reduce the family’s grocery purchases.
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Joy in Virginia
Joy is a single mother who works seven days a week to provide for her four children. After paying all her bills, there is little left over for groceries and other necessities.
After school each day, Joy’s children make their way to the Boys and Girls Club just a few blocks away. There they do their homework, play sports and, most important, are served a nutritious dinner—through our Kids Cafe program at the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, a member of the Feeding America network.
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Philomen in South Dakota
Philomen lives on an Indian reservation in South Dakota, in one of the poorest counties in the nation. His town of 900 provides few job opportunities or other sources of income.
“Some days, it’s hard to earn a dollar in this town,” he says. But thanks to the work of Gus Craven (left) and his Native Outreach program, Philomen gets a hot meal several times a week, and the support and encouragement of friends and neighbors.
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Gloria in New York
Gloria's husband died of cancer two years ago, and now she is a single mother raising eight children and two nephews. When her mother, who had looked after the children while Gloria was at work, died, Gloria was forced to quit her job to look after the ten children in her family.
Unable to work, Muniz relies on Social Security, public assistance and SNAP benefits (formerly called food stamps) to get by. After all the bills are paid, Muniz has about $20 left in her purse each month to spend on food and other essentials such as school supplies for her children. “Thank goodness for food stamps,” said Gloria. “But they don’t last me very long.”
Holidays are a difficult time for Gloria’s family. It’s hard to explain to your kids that you can’t work and that Christmas will be tight, Gloria explained. Thankfully, for the past few Christmas seasons, Gloria and her children still have enjoyed a traditional holiday meal and presents—all because of Boxes of Love, a program of the The Buffalo Dream Center, an agency of The Food Bank of Western New York and a member of the Feeding America network.
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Why is it so important that we support our local food banks?
(Clint Keller/Journal Gazette)
Lines form outside of a food bank.
Our nation's food banks are struggling to keep up with the demand:
Just a few days ago, the state’s food banks joined together to ask the General Assembly for $1 million in emergency aid. In making the request, the organizations said their demand has risen by 20 to 30 percent over the past year and a half.
In addition to seeing more clients walk through their doors, some organizations are also seeing new types of clients.
Lolita Warwick, executive director of The Daily Bread soup kitchen, said they’re seeing a “tremendous” amount of need, including more families coming through.
“People are calling saying I don’t have any food and I’ve got to find something because I’ve got three kids at home,” Warwick said.
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The local food bank in Wichita served 40% more families over Thanksgiving this year:
In early November, an estimated 2,500 families -- representing 6,000 people -- stood in line at the Bread of Life food pantry for a turkey or chicken and a sack of food for their Thanksgiving meal. Last year, the pantry provided Thanksgiving meals for 1,800 families, meaning it served an estimated 40 percent more families this year.
(Olathe Community Food Pantry)
All food banks and pantries are reporting longer and longer lines, especially during the holidays.
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The Oakland Tribune reports that peanut butter is "like gold" for local food banks coping with high demand:
The numbers are overwhelming. It's rare for the 24-year-old charity to get 1,500 emergency food calls a month — food bank officials say that's pretty high, and it's only happened twice before this year.
Since the beginning of the year, however, the food help line has hit that 1,500-call mark every month. Since July, that number has climbed to more than 2,000. Food bank officials are recording a 39 percent increase in total callers compared with this time last year, 22 percent of whom are first-time callers.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, the help line had to shut down an hour early due to a backlog of callers who needed food.
and:
Everyday foods are becoming novelty items as a result of the high demand. Peanut butter is like gold. Milk, eggs — like silver. Rice, beans, cereal — like bronze.
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The State of Oregon had to hire 60 new workersjust to cope with rising demand for food stamps.
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A food bank in Indiana saw demand go up 205% this past November:
When Community Harvest Food Bank staff members had time this week to look over their records for November, shock nearly set in.
“I figured we'd gone up 100 percent from a year ago,” in the number of people assisted through the agency compared to a year ago. “But I didn't think we'd gone up 205 percent,” said the food bank's executive director, Jane Avery.
and:
“They start lining up by 6:30 (a.m.), even though we don't start distribution until 9,” Avery said.
2,500 people line up to collect food vouchers in Milwaukee.
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As more and more families are affected by the economic downturn, our nation's food banks will become increasingly important:
Jane Smith describes a long line of families. She says, "There were a lot of little children." As Jane Smith describes the scene, her eyes well up with tears and the look on her face is one of despair. It's apparent she's scared and uncertain what the future holds for her family, including two girls, six and four. Back at the Food Pantry, Williams says the story of the Smith family seems to be more common these days. This family is merely one example of what's happening here and elsewhere at food banks and pantries.
(Groceries for Seniors)
Senior citizens line up outside of a food bank in San Francisco.
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And the problem is affecting people from all walks of life:
The young man, wearing a shirt and a tie, turned up just as the pantry operated by an Iowa food bank was closing for the night. He knew it was after-hours. That’s why he was there.
He kept his gaze downward as he told the woman from the food bank that he had lost his job, had a wife and kids and was too embarrassed and ashamed to stand in line to receive a bag of groceries that hopefully would feed his family for a week. I have a master’s degree. I shouldn’t have to do this, he said.
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In Seattle:
A 33-year-old construction worker who was recently laid off from a union job first went to the food bank about three weeks ago. He has an 11-year-old daughter and is trying to make ends meet on his unemployment check. He said his prospects for a job this time of year aren't good.
"You do what you have to, to feed your family," he said softly. "It takes $30 or $40 off the grocery bill for the week. It helps."
(Reuters)
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Your donation of food, money or time will help ensure we don't hear more stories like this one:
News 4 has learned the Community Food Bank is planning another cutback in services. Last week we reported the Food Bank will not be able to afford to give out extra holiday food boxes this year.
Today the agency tells us it's about to cut the number of regular food boxes that a family can receive from two per month to just one.
CBS also reported back in May that the nation's food banks are on the brink of crisis. How much worse will it get as the economy suffers?
(Capital Area Food Bank)
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Please donate.
As our economy worsens, it is up to us to make sure we are doing all we can to support our fellow citizens. Hunger in America is unacceptable.
Please check out the diaries by srkp23, JellyBearDemMom, rb137, boatsie, and noweasels.
Also, look for more diaries today from blue jersey mom, DeviousPie, Timroff, Patriot Daily News Clearinghouse, and blue jersey dad.
(Ozarks Food Harvest)
Thank you for reading. Since joining Daily Kos, I have been overwhelmed at the generous spirit of this community. You truly are a great group of people. Thank you.