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You should also know that adults who get food stamps get only a small amount (it's supplemental assistance only, not full food provisions), and only for a few weeks or months, depending on the state. Food assistance long term is reserved for children, for obvious reasons.
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I concur. Bpollen may be making an honest mistske, but he or she is off base. TANF and WIC are for children and families. SNAP is for everyone, with a work requirement for non-disabled adults under 65.
Forget Walmart! Their produce is crap: underripe, flavorless, and overpriced. (Except bananas; those are mostly OK.) The best and cheapest produce is sold at ethnic supermarkets: Italian, Polish, or Asian. It's at least half the price of mainstream supermarkets, and the flavor is so much better. Not to mention, you can find produce that mainstream supermarkets usually don't carry, like currants or parsnips.
For an even better value, overripe produce, packed in plastic on styrofoam trays, is sometimes as little as $1 for 2 lb or more. I buy it all the time. It tastes amazing, but spoils in just a few days. But you can cut them into chunks and sprinkle sugar all over them if it's fruits, or pickle them if it's vegetables. That'll make them last for at least a week. Heck, it's how we Americans used to preserve produce before refrigerators were invented.
Ethnic markets? I live in a 95%+ white area in small town Tennessee. There are almost no ethnic markers here.
A lot of people on this thread are posting from an urban/suburban perspective. Most places in my area have no grocery delivery. Anything you do means getting in the car and driving. There are few services for the elderly.
Ethnic markets? I live in a 95%+ white area in small town Tennessee. There are almost no ethnic markers here.
A lot of people on this thread are posting from an urban/suburban perspective. Most places in my area have no grocery delivery. Anything you do means getting in the car and driving. There are few services for the elderly.
This is one of the big problems. I was looking at some statistics about how food stamp recipients, since 2012, have shifted to more rural than urban. One of the points made in the article was that the number of recipients would likely be even higher in rural areas except for the difficulty of reaching the elderly.
Ethnic markets? I live in a 95%+ white area in small town Tennessee. There are almost no ethnic markers here.
A lot of people on this thread are posting from an urban/suburban perspective. Most places in my area have no grocery delivery. Anything you do means getting in the car and driving. There are few services for the elderly.
you probably haven't really looked around. Might not be a huge place.
No, humans set up the system. It may come as a surprise to you, but Christians don't charge for their food pantries or require income statements. They figure if Jesus didn't charge to feed the 5,000 they shouldn't either. Talk to one sometime. You will be astonished to find that Christians care for their fellow human beings and don't condemn them to starve to death.
At our food bank here - you just fill out a general form. Don't have time to be checking finances.
It is info they use to see what will be needed - lots of kids? elderly? disabled?
I used to deliver meals on wheels and personally fed two elderly neighbors for years. the problems I observed weren't that these elderly people lacked money for food, but their inability to get to a grocery store, they could no longer drive, or an inability to maneuver cooking. grocery shopping is impossible if there is no transportation or one is too weak to pick up a grocery bag. Cooking is impossible if one hasn't the strength to use can opener or good enough eyesight to work the stove.
I agree. There is plenty of free food available. I live in a town of about 30,000 that has a couple of food banks, churches that give out food, church that runs a soup kitchen, senior center with free meals provided by meals on wheels, etc.
If they run out of food or get low, they simply put out a call for what they want and the townspeople and local businesses stock them back up.
But as you said, all these places require the senior to be able to get themselves to the food.
Senior centers, Meals on Wheels programs, churches, and cities offer free food. Make sure you ask.
I also would ask the grocery stores when they markdown their meats, salads, and other foods. You really need to ask around. Some grocery stores will put the outdated foods outside in a basket in the rear of the store. If they can sense that you need assistance, they will tell you where they donate their food. You can go on the designated days to that donation site.
Almost all moderate to large cities with senior centers offer low cost or free lunches. Do not be afraid to ask family members for gift cards to grocery stores to make ends meet. Use coupons and plan your meals carefully. Neighbors can assist as well with making extra food and giving you a little of theirs. If you have been a longtime friend and neighbor, do not be afraid to let them know. I would not mind assisting an elderly neighbor once a week or every two weeks if I had extra food. No leftovers is good for me.
A $5.00 chicken from Costco can last me 5 days. I can make chicken breast and vegetables, then tacos, then salads with pieces of chicken, then a chicken soup with the bones and remaining pieces of meat.
There is no reason to go hungry, there is always a way.
Senior centers, Meals on Wheels programs, churches, and cities offer free food. Make sure you ask.
I also would ask the grocery stores when they markdown their meats, salads, and other foods. You really need to ask around. Some grocery stores will put the outdated foods outside in a basket in the rear of the store. If they can sense that you need assistance, they will tell you where they donate their food. You can go on the designated days to that donation site.
Almost all moderate to large cities with senior centers offer low cost or free lunches. Do not be afraid to ask family members for gift cards to grocery stores to make ends meet. Use coupons and plan your meals carefully. Neighbors can assist as well with making extra food and giving you a little of theirs. If you have been a longtime friend and neighbor, do not be afraid to let them know. I would not mind assisting an elderly neighbor once a week or every two weeks if I had extra food. No leftovers is good for me.
A $5.00 chicken from Costco can last me 5 days. I can make chicken breast and vegetables, then tacos, then salads with pieces of chicken, then a chicken soup with the bones and remaining pieces of meat.
There is no reason to go hungry, there is always a way.
OK, but you're not eating this for 2-3 meals per day. People need to eat more than just dinner or just lunch. Yes, I agree in many areas there are plenty of resources for people not to go hungry. In other areas maybe not so much.
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