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Name: Jace
Location: Windsor, SC
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No Rescue for the Hungry

Posted by Jace on Sunday, September 28, 2008 1:43:58 PM
The Washington Post today published an article No Rescue for the Hungry.  Here is my response to it.

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No Rescue For the Hungry

It should be unthinkable to look the other way as tens of millions of low-income Americans go without food or shelter.
 - 

By Joel Berg

 
Comments
jace1 wrote:
My daughter works for a food bank so I have a little insight into this problem. 
Yes the USDA food comes into the food banks and is still coming in. USDA is meant to be a supplement.  
No Food Pantry can run on USDA food alone that is stated in the USDA food manual.  
With the recent passing of the Farm Bill act the amount of funding to USDA was raised from $180 million to $250 million this year.  
Even with the increase of USDA Food, food banks are still dependent on local donations. 
The Food Banks are running short of food. In-fact the food bank where my daughter works closed one of it's satellite offices last week.

First one must understand a few things about a food bank and who they serve.

The churches, soup kitchens and various other programs in your area come to the food bank to purchase food for their work. 
The food is not free but at a greatly discounted price to agencies and given free to those in need.
Rarely do individual people receive food at the food bank when they call they are directed to the Churches and Salvation Army 
(also a purchaser at the food banks) to have their needs met.
My daughter and other members of the food bank where my daughter works has at times delivered food directly to a family in need 
when other agencies were closed. 

The bulk of the food at any food bank has always been from donations from corporations and individuals like each of us. 
Food banks do food drives and collect money to purchase food in bulk at a discount price.

So it is wrong to claim that the decline in federal funding for food bank's use is the only problem with the shortage.

Corporations are cutting back in their contributions and individuals well a large majority do not care.

The writer of this article would have better served all of humanity had they taken the time to understand how a food bank 
operates and simply said. Times are tough for all of us, there are others in need, one day it may be you. 
People get involved. Do not expect the federal government to do it all and do not write about a problem simply for political gain. 
All the writer of this article has shown me is that they are part of the problem not part of the solution.

I feel we may all be saying in the future BROTHER CAN YOU SPARE A DIME.
Look in your local grocery store do they have a bin for food to go to the food bank? 
Call your local food bank they are in the phone book. Find out where food drives are happening and contribute.
You know even a can of tomato soup is a G-d send to a hungry person and one day you may just find that out for yourself. 
You would be surprised just how much a dollar will buy when give to a food bank instead of you purchasing a dollars worth of food.
9/28/2008 1:10:47 PM

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/26/AR2008092603265.html

It should be pointed out that during the debate when asked witch programs each candidate would cut out 
John McCain spoke of a spending freeze. Obama still wants to make you think his campaign of 
wonderful programs will still take place by just cutting out a few items here and there.

Goodness with a $700 billion dollar bailout and the government is not sure that will stop the slide.
Who do you think is more realistic in looking at the future?  
When you make your own budget do you not freeze your spending and
realize the vacation you were going to take is not now something you can do if you want to pay your bills 
and keep a house over your head.

Think about that when you go to the voting booth.

Dreams are one thing reality is quite another.

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