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Sorry, but I dont buy the food insecurity schtick. First, there is social security and welfare food stamps meals on wheels and various free food offers from others. Many cities also have food pantries with free food. We had one in Lubbock Tx. They had so much money they were paying kids in summer to come and be paid and taught how to grow food.
If these people are shut ins (cant get out of their house on their own) family needs to take them in or be put in nursing home or some assisted living arrangement. Maybe the local govt could take over and then bill the family. I've seen situations where the children of the elderly completely shirk their duty.
So you want to punish the elderly because their family won't help...or because they don't have family nearby...or don't have family, period?
There are plenty of older people without family to look out for them. Either they didn't create a family or become estranged from the family they had.
When social services runs across someone who appears in need of a guardian, the first thing they do is try to track down a relative to do this. Even once you find someone, it can be difficult getting them to get involved.
People who never had children often only have nieces and nephews who don't feel any sense of responsibility to look after an aunt or uncle they barely know.
A father who abandons his family to take up with someone else, is in a poor position to convince his kids, now in their 50's and 60's to look out after him.
Or sometimes people have family members who are in no better position than they are to figure things out.
There are elders living in trailers where the sewer line just a pipe that runs out into the grass. However, the whole family lives like that. And they are all on the edge with food.
Once I was explaining about the free buses to the annual community Thanksgiving feast. One boy who lived with his grandmother told me that he knew about the buses and always made sure that he and his grandma got there. "It is the one time of the year I know we are going to get full."
There are many opportunities in my local community for help for hungry seniors, but I am also aware of people who qualify for them who refuse to out of pride/shame. I don't know how to solve that.
Enough food for these people is thrown into dumpsters every night by restaurants and supermarkets, which are then locked up so the hungry can't get it.
I wonder, do people know the truck is there? Do they list it on the community calendar of your local newspaper? Or put up flyers at the senior centers or libraries? Lots of places to advertise for free.
yes they do
A lot is done on social media. The churches do publish it in their bulletins.
I started a page for my small town and i make sure that i post every single pantry or food bank truck delivery.
The lines have surged - so that tells me the word is getting out. And we still have items left over - especially when the food bank truck delivers.
We do have a grocery store chain in the area that is very generous. HEB based in San Antonio texas. Most of the items comes from them. They have an upscale store that sells mostly organic type food and we give those out also.
Sorry, but I dont buy the food insecurity schtick. First, there is social security and welfare food stamps meals on wheels and various free food offers from others. Many cities also have food pantries with free food. We had one in Lubbock Tx. They had so much money they were paying kids in summer to come and be paid and taught how to grow food.
If these people are shut ins (cant get out of their house on their own) family needs to take them in or be put in nursing home or some assisted living arrangement. Maybe the local govt could take over and then bill the family. I've seen situations where the children of the elderly completely shirk their duty.
Food stamps don't pay much. You'd have to really scrimp as a single person on food stamps. My girlfriend gets them - I think it's $193/month for her. That's not a lot to go on for food.
Food stamps don't pay much. You'd have to really scrimp as a single person on food stamps. My girlfriend gets them - I think it's $193/month for her. That's not a lot to go on for food.
for one person - it is. She would have to buy basic ingredients and put them together to make her meals.
for one person - it is. She would have to buy basic ingredients and put them together to make her meals.
That's mostly true. Rotisserie chickens can be bought with EBT/SNAP nowadays, provided that they're cold. In which case, $10 buys 4 simple but adequate meals. While I don't live on EBT/SNAP now, I make my weekday lunches that way. So...
rotisserie chicken - $5
bag of rice - $1
bag of frozen broccoli - $2
packet of cheese sauce - $1
barbecue sauce - $1
salt and pepper - already have
You can make a variety of meals from those ingredients alone. You can combine them all into a casserole. Or you can eat chicken, rice, and broccoli with cheese separately. Or anything in-between.
That said, elderly persons going hungry is very, very wrong. Especially considering that we as a society waste nearly 40% of our food. I volunteer periodically at food banks, knowing that some of their food goes to the people who need it.
I would never ask my adult children for food. Fortunately, it will never be necessary.
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