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Old 01-11-2009, 02:41 PM
 
947 posts, read 3,129,348 times
Reputation: 736

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Woof Woof Woof! View Post
I'm just wondering how many people have experienced hunger and poverty? Have you ever been out of work and wondered how you could buy your next meal?

I have, and you never forget that feeling. It was humiliating and embarrassing and I was too ashamed to tell anyone. I would dream about food all the time, and try to imagine ways to steal it or get it for free.

One day, all I wanted was a cup of coffee. I walked up to a little coffee shop and asked for a free cup of coffee. I must have mumbled because the person behind the counter didn't quite hear me. He put down a small cup and said, "That'll be 90 cents please!" I looked down into the coffee and said, "I was hoping you would give me a cup for free. I don't have any money." He looked at me disdainfully and said, "Okay! But this is the last time!"

I walked away humiliated and sat down on the edge of the sidewalk to drink my coffee.

Has anyone had a similar experience?
Yes - I completely remember not having enough money for food. In 1993 I moved from MA to CA and I was temping. I made $7 - 8 an hour and had to pay $500 per month in rent. Somedays I would have work and some days I wouldn't. IT was horrible! This wasn't even in a good neighborhood. I had one week until payday and absoutely no food. I had to share an office at one of the temp assignments and I ended up eating all the snacks she kept in her drawer. I know she knew and she just didn't say anything when she saw her stash slowly disappearing.

The 90's were a tough time for me. Never forget it.

That's probably why I'm so conservative today.
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Old 01-11-2009, 02:43 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,386,117 times
Reputation: 4353
Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson View Post
As for your adventure. You should have offered to work for your coffee and you might have snagged a job that provided you with one meal a day.
I was working that day, but it was a difficult job where I had to walk up to people and ask for signatures on a petition. People would ignore me and say nasty things. I've always worked very hard in my life, but things happen.

Thanks for your suggestion.
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Old 01-11-2009, 02:53 PM
 
35 posts, read 374,012 times
Reputation: 51
When I was in highschool, my friend and I worked in McDonalds. Every night at closing, we would pack up all the leftover food in a seperate bag from the garbage and leave it next to the dumpster for these two homeless guys. We got in trouble a few times with the manager for doing it but we still did it.
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Old 01-11-2009, 03:02 PM
 
Location: Ocean Shores, WA
5,092 posts, read 14,770,679 times
Reputation: 10865
Quote:
Originally Posted by Woof Woof Woof! View Post

Perhaps you've never been in a position where you've been hungry or embarrassed about having no money?
If you're at the stage where you feel embarrassed because you have no money, you have a long way to go before you feel hungry because you have no money.
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Old 01-11-2009, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,386,117 times
Reputation: 4353
Quote:
Originally Posted by ACS228 View Post
When I was in highschool, my friend and I worked in McDonalds. Every night at closing, we would pack up all the leftover food in a seperate bag from the garbage and leave it next to the dumpster for these two homeless guys. We got in trouble a few times with the manager for doing it but we still did it.
Wow! Good for you! Why should all that food go to waste? Why not let the homeless people have it?
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Old 01-11-2009, 03:10 PM
 
Location: Alexandria, VA
15,102 posts, read 27,541,944 times
Reputation: 27147
Quote:
Originally Posted by ACS228 View Post
When I was in highschool, my friend and I worked in McDonalds. Every night at closing, we would pack up all the leftover food in a seperate bag from the garbage and leave it next to the dumpster for these two homeless guys. We got in trouble a few times with the manager for doing it but we still did it.
Good for you I wish more restaurants would do that instead of throwing away perfectly good food.
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Old 01-11-2009, 04:40 PM
 
Location: On the Chesapeake
44,878 posts, read 59,846,876 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Flamingo13 View Post
Good for you I wish more restaurants would do that instead of throwing away perfectly good food.
They're not allowed to. Health Department regulations.
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Old 01-11-2009, 05:28 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,386,117 times
Reputation: 4353
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rose Red View Post
Yes - I completely remember not having enough money for food. In 1993 I moved from MA to CA and I was temping. I made $7 - 8 an hour and had to pay $500 per month in rent. Somedays I would have work and some days I wouldn't. IT was horrible! This wasn't even in a good neighborhood. I had one week until payday and absoutely no food. I had to share an office at one of the temp assignments and I ended up eating all the snacks she kept in her drawer. I know she knew and she just didn't say anything when she saw her stash slowly disappearing.

The 90's were a tough time for me. Never forget it.

That's probably why I'm so conservative today.
Gosh, I really feel for you. I hope your situation is much better now.

One time a friend let me have keys to her apartment. While she was away, I would sneak upstairs to drink juice out of her fridge. I don't think she ever found out about it.
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Old 01-11-2009, 05:40 PM
 
Location: Rockland County New York
2,984 posts, read 5,838,572 times
Reputation: 1298
In the mid 1980s I worked as a Pathmark supermarket stock boy making $3.35 an hour and working 20 hours a week and doing 40 hours worth of labor. I often did not have money to eat. Jobs were limited and full time jobs were nonexistent. I would steal bread and cookies to fill my hungry belly from the very store I worked for two years. The worst part is I had to pay union dues just to get my minimum wage job. I was only 17 and already knew life was going to be hard. You wonder why Grunge was so huge? Just listen to Temple of the Dog. It spells it out.

Last edited by Stac2007; 01-11-2009 at 05:54 PM..
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Old 01-11-2009, 06:29 PM
 
Location: Some place very cold
5,501 posts, read 22,386,117 times
Reputation: 4353
Quote:
Originally Posted by Stac2007 View Post
In the mid 1980s I worked as a Pathmark supermarket stock boy making $3.35 an hour and working 20 hours a week and doing 40 hours worth of labor. I often did not have money to eat. Jobs were limited and full time jobs were nonexistent. I would steal bread and cookies to fill my hungry belly from the very store I worked for two years. The worst part is I had to pay union dues just to get my minimum wage job. I was only 17 and already knew life was going to be hard. You wonder why Grunge was so huge? Just listen to Temple of the Dog. It spells it out.
Gosh, these stories are heartbreaking, and I think they are more common then most people realize. I don't know about you, but I never told anyone I didn't have money for food. I just cried to myself at night because I was scared and felt worthless. And of course, in this society, when you are hungry, you are surrounded by abundance. It's like looking through plexiglass at all the other people who are filling up their shopping carts with food, good wine and cheese.
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