Food Pantries Struggling with Shortages

Yahoooooo! ^ | November 19, 2007 | Staff Writer @ AP

[Gabz]

.......and are now paying close to $3.00 a gallon.

I only wish --- it's closer to $3.50 than $3 around here. Thankfully I have a practically unlimited supply of firewood and need little fuel oil. But I need the oil year round because that also fuels my hot water heater.

[mylife]

The national average is an hour commute

[mylife]

I’m not dinging on you Sparky.
I’m just trying to recognize that costs are way up for the average family

[tbw2]

I agree. I’ve watched people with the food stamp debit card have grocery bills larger than mine, while we’ve got the same number of kids in the grocery cart. My selection includes canned vegetables and fresh fruit; theirs is little debbie, all soda, and one gallon of milk.
Beans, rice, tuna, milk, OJ, bread, PB and Jelly should be about all those card buy. It shouldn’t even allow purchase of junk food.

[patton]

It is apropos this thread - a local brewery donated to a local charity.

Turned out the charity couldn’t take it, due to some alchohol law.

It also turned out, the brewery couldn’t take it back, due to some other obscure law.

So the entire truck got unloaded into my basement.

For about a year, anyone who walked up to my house (mailman, UPS, you name it...) got tipped with a case of beer.

LOL. I was a popular guy...

[bmwcyle]

Teach them to fish.

[Elyse]

And each year the govt does nothing to control our borders. Get used to it, all charities are being stretched due to the influx of illegals.

I agree, I think illegals going to the food pantries are part of the problem. I also think that nowadays there are more "poor" people that are spending their money on the cable tv bill, flat screen tvs, dvds, video game players and games, expensive clothes and shoes. These "poor" people have absolutely no shame and feel they are entitled to line up at the food pantry because they are so "poor."

[Gabz]

LOL. I was a popular guy...

I bet you were!!!!!!!!!

[OCCASparky]

How do you “plan” for fuel costs increasing 30% in a year?

You don't. You make adjustments. I carpool more, work a little bit of overtime when I can, take fewer car trips when I travel for work (for example, take shuttle to Boston rather than my car)

You also have to realize that a lot of the increase in oil prices is due to speculation and have to have the ability to wait it out. Mark my words, oil prices WILL come down in the near future because this government will not allow a slowdown in the economy fueled by (pardon the pun) increasing fuel costs. Even announcing a reopening of the debate into ANWR or costal drilling will help drive down prices if the administration gets off it's dead butt and actually suggests something to that effect.

[Gabz]

I also think that nowadays there are more "poor" people that are spending their money on the cable tv bill, flat screen tvs, dvds, video game players and games, expensive clothes and shoes.

I wish I was so "poor."

[dalereed]

Close them down and put a sign on the door “go get a job and earn your keep”,

[patton]

New wood stove arrives 4 Dec - I cannot wait!

[OCCASparky]

Oh, trust me—I see it in other ways too...like when I had to get my driveway paved this year. Because of the cost of the asphalt, I paid nearly $1000 more than I would have if I had done it last year.

[mylife]

Well, they’d best do something because fuel drives this economy.

[OCCASparky]

You ought to see what the Mainers buy at the local Market Basket on the first weekend of the month...amazing, really.

[mylife]

Fuel cost effect EVERYTHING

[Jaidyn]

Our church runs a food pantry for area folks. You can make fun of this all you want, but we’re experiencing exactly what this story says. More working people needing help and nearly empty shelves.

I agree. We just fed 125 people yesterday. Many of us donated the food. Many of these people are homeless, have no money for food, or are mentally ill. All are verified as needy. I packed many plates for them to take home for supper, and included in each package places that were having Thanksgiving dinners. I find it ignorant to talk down to the folks who have nothing and are hungry. I'm not in favor of the government handing them food stamps, but am all for people who can, helping people who can't. This isn't about government, but about hungry people. Work in a charitable organization, and you will see a lot of things you didn't previously know.

[OCCASparky]

Year old beer? Yuck.

You wouldn't be a popular guy with me. Or maybe that's cause I'm spoiled and when I can't brew my own I make it at a place that has "do-it-yourself" brewing.

The ex gave me a gift certificate to do a few cases of that when I lived in CA. At least she knew what I liked.

[ichabod1]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's annual hunger survey released Wednesday showed that more than 35.5 million people in the United States were hungry in 2006.

I'm hungry right now~!

[EBH]

I also think that nowadays there are more "poor" people that are spending their money on the cable tv bill, flat screen tvs, dvds, video game players and games, expensive clothes and shoes.

I wish I was so poor to be able to have cable, flat screen, dvds, etc. My biggest splurge item...internet. I was shocked at the price of eggs yesterday...up nearly .50 in a week. I dunno know if it was holiday gouging or what, but my bill was $30 higher than normal. And no...there is not a T-Day dinner in my house this year.