"Food Insecurity" Issue

aegsm76 · #1 09-06-2018, 04:57 PM

Our church does a lot of work with people in the very bottom of the income level.
And no one, repeat no one is "food insecure".
The only place we have seen this is where parent are addicts and are too busy to worry about getting food, even though the government is giving them money to do so.
Anyone else have personal experience with this?
link
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/mark...lmC?li=BBnbfcN

snippets

About 11.8 percent of Americans were "food insecure" in 2017, representing about 15 million households, according to data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That's down from 12.3 percent a year earlier, but still higher than the pre-recession rate of 11.1 percent in 2007, the agency said.

Food insecurity, defined as failing to have enough food because of a lack of money or other resources, is a closely watched measure of hardship. The problem, say poverty experts, has never truly been solved since President Lyndon Johnson launched his "war on poverty" in the 1960s, which included food stamps. Hunger still touches every state in the country, the USDA said in its latest report.

Evang.Benincasa · #2 09-06-2018, 06:16 PM

Quote:

The only place we have seen this is where parent are addicts and are too busy to worry about getting food, even though the government is giving them money to do so.

This is where I have found that people were lacking food. The parents were addicts and the children went without. Mostly because the parents had the food stamps but never cared to go use them for food. Children were also never cared for, because the parents didn't prepare meals. Child had to actually fend for itself. Homeless people eat better than anyone, (not healthy) but in quantity. It is estimated that in Broward alone a homeless individual has enough programs giving out food where they can become obese. But even extreme poverty someone can eat and feed their family. The dollar store on 10 dollars you can feed a family of four.

Amanah · #3 09-06-2018, 06:28 PM

Yep, drug addicts forget to feed their kids, when there is food the kids will hide some away for when the crack addict mom is wasted away

BuckeyeBukaroo · #4 09-06-2018, 06:32 PM

I have experienced "food insecurity". It can happen when you have a low-paying job with bills coming in and then something else unexpected happens. It can set you back 3 months!

People who don't qualify (or don't try to qualify) for government assistance but work 2, sometimes even 3 low-wage jobs just try to make ends meet can come into situations that will cause the pantry to look paltry. And I heard a guy who was homeless once say that the only day where food was scarce on the streets was Sunday.

BuckeyeBukaroo · #5 09-06-2018, 06:34 PM

Wage stagnation is a SERIOUS problem in this country-- has been since the 1980's and it is only getting worse.

Esaias · #6 09-06-2018, 06:38 PM

If your only source of food is the three day supply at the grocery store, you do not have "food security".

BuckeyeBukaroo · #7 09-06-2018, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Esaias

If your only source of food is the three day supply at the grocery store, you do not have "food security".

I agree with you on that.
Just one EMP away from chaos.
Plus, deep freezers are not as popular as they once were.

votivesoul · #8 09-09-2018, 05:43 AM

It's priorities more than most realize. If the money isn't being smoked, snorted, gambled, or drunk, it's going toward smartphones, cable tv, internet connection, video-games, purposeless debt, and etc.

I can just about guarantee that if any average food insecure family had a walkthrough of their home, you could find lots of stuff they don't need, couldn't afford to begin with, and could sell so that the kiddoes didn't have to eat Ramen noodles for the tenth day in a row.

Now, if we're talking Liberia or Somalia, or Venezuela right now, that would be different. But in the USA and the West in general, if people cannot eat, it's more likely that their priorities are off, than it is an inability to make ends meet.

Jito463 · #9 09-09-2018, 09:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by votivesoul

It's priorities more than most realize. If the money isn't being smoked, snorted, gambled, or drunk, it's going toward smartphones, cable tv, internet connection, video-games, purposeless debt, and etc.

I can just about guarantee that if any average food insecure family had a walkthrough of their home, you could find lots of stuff they don't need, couldn't afford to begin with, and could sell so that the kiddoes didn't have to eat Ramen noodles for the tenth day in a row.

Now, if we're talking Liberia or Somalia, or Venezuela right now, that would be different. But in the USA and the West in general, if people cannot eat, it's more likely that their priorities are off, than it is an inability to make ends meet.

I used to work for a convenience store, and I recall a story told to me by a coworker. A couple comes in with their kids and are buying food with EBT and beer with cash. Their EBT card didn't have enough money to pay for all the food, so rather than put the beer back and buy the food with cash, they had the kids put back the food that they couldn't afford with EBT. The beer was more important to them than food.

As for the "food insecurity" thing, about 8 years ago I was in a very precarious situation financially. I had to borrow money just to pay my rent, and was literally eating only one meal every 2-3 days (no, that's not hyperbole) for a couple months or more. I never even considered government handouts, I just found a second job overnights (that same convenience store job) and worked two jobs to pay the bills. Now I'm back to working in my chosen field and am relatively stable financially. I have a ways to go to become "secure", but at least I'm not in any danger of starving.

The problem with many in our society today, is they live for the "victim" mentality. They get to claim the victim status, so they can feel sorry for themselves instead of doing something about their situation. If more were willing to actually rectify their situation, instead of moaning and whining about it, then there'd be fewer people suffering from "food insecurity". We'd also be able to eliminate the vast majority of the welfare programs in this country.

It should go without saying (though I'll say it anyway) that obviously if people would turn to God, He will make a way for them. I spoke above of what I did to turn things around, but I most assuredly recognize that if it weren't for God, I wouldn't have made it through those tough times. Even at the worst, I actually didn't feel any hunger, despite how infrequently I ate. That could only be the work of God. And as much as I loathed working that convenience store job, I still thank God for helping me to get it, as it gave me the financial support I needed to get back on my feet.

Aquila · #10 09-09-2018, 03:25 PM

I've seen stories like those above, deplorable.

I've also seen other stories. I'm in a union. There is a family wherein the father was laid off. So, he got a job at Taco Bell making half what he did and is looking for work. Mom got a job, but at minimum wage. Rent for their house, utilities, car payment, student loan payments and child support (he was previously married) eat up most of what they make. They have little to no money left for food and taxable items. They survive with union help and food pantries. When he finds work in tool and dye, things will pick up again. But right now, they are struggling. If there would be a serious unexpected expense, they'd be on the edge of having to fold and seek emergency housing and government assistance.

Let's not try to convince ourselves that everyone who are "food insecure" are connected to drugs and food stamps.