19.9 Percent of Tennessee Is On Food Stamps... (Knoxville, Columbia: transplants, find a job)

[LauraC]

...compared to 14.1% of the overall US. Only the District of Columbia (21.9%) and Mississippi (20.7%) have bigger percentages of their populations on food stamps.

Wyoming (6.4%) and NJ (8.0%) and New Hampshire (8.5%) have the lowest percentages of their residents on food stamps.

Scroll down to see the food stamp chart for the different states.

Some 43 Million Use Food Stamps - Real Time Economics - WSJ

[ylisa7]

That is really a sad statistic.

Maybe our government and churches should teach people how to garden and grow some of their own healthy food. It really could help so many of our hungry people.

[jchometeam]

Maybe our churches could provide food assistance to those who need it instead of relying on the government to do it. This, in my opinion, is one of the primary jobs of local churches.

[ylisa7]

Originally Posted by jchometeam

Maybe our churches could provide food assistance to those who need it instead of relying on the government to do it. This, in my opinion, is one of the primary jobs of local churches.

They could..most churches have land to use for a big garden. I don't know why they don't

I agree....I wish we saw more of the local churches..really helping their people.

[2mares]

Most people I know in TN know how to garden and can food. That dosent mean you will reap a good crop and you can only grow a limited amount of food. Also, most all Churches have a food bank to help the poor. Not sure about having acrage and the responsibility to act as a safety net for the government. Remember that we pay taxes to the government and a small percentage of the money we give them is to provide for citizens welfare.

As the article stated much of the increase in FS need is due to high unemployment and depressed wages. TN has an unemployment rate of approximately 9.5% and a minimum wage of about 7.25/hr. Over the last 10 yrs. I have seen several good industries in Cookeville move south of the boarder or close. Others have cut their production here and decreased wages. I imagine it is difficult to support a family on 8 or 9 dollars/hr if you can find a job. On top of that just this past year utility rates have increased, gas prices and food prices while wages have not. And lets not forget added transplants and illegals that move to TN and need assistance. So it is little wonder to me that FS usage has increased.

[jchometeam]

Ideally, our community and church organizations could take care of the needy in our community and we would not need food stamps. I am not proposing them as a safety net for the government, but a replacement for the government charity work would be nice.

At the very least, the illegals should not be receiving government assistance. BUT as church and community leaders, we should provide them assistance for humanitarian reasons.

Most churches that I know do not have a food bank, but rather see themselves as fulfilling their purpose by taking up offerings to missions oversees or across the state. I do not know many that actually go out and actively help people on a daily basis.

[2mares]

Originally Posted by jchometeam

Ideally, our community and church organizations could take care of the needy in our community and we would not need food stamps. I am not proposing them as a safety net for the government, but a replacement for the government charity work would be nice.

Originally Posted by jchometeam

At the very least, the illegals should not be receiving government assistance. BUT as church and community leaders, we should provide them assistance for humanitarian reasons.

Most churches that I know do not have a food bank, but rather see themselves as fulfilling their purpose by taking up offerings to missions oversees or across the state. I do not know many that actually go out and actively help people on a daily basis.

Government charity work. Now there’s an oxymoron.
We have a thing called separation of church and state. The constitution allows for the power to collect taxes to be used in part for the promotion of the general welfare. I think providing food subsidies to the unemployed and underemployed fall under that category.

The church on the other hand has a responsibility to God and their congregation. I don’t know what area you are in or religion, but in my area the congregation is the church. It survives on the tithes of its members and monies not spent on the direct expenses and ministries are used to help those in the community.

As well most communities have a city/county food bank and even programs set up to help the poor and elderly with utilities.

Did you know that the predecessor of the FS program was distribution of government commodities (surplus ag products stored to keep prices up and supplement farmers) to the unemployed/poor. The government spent about $40 mil a year to store the ever popular government cheese.

[hiknapster]

I've never seen a church that had a food pantry. I'm sure they are out there, but I haven't seen one in the places I have lived in Mass., Florida and Knoxville.

I've personally asked churches if they help with food and were told no, even in churches that I attended or were a member of. One once told me, down in Florida, that they have a program where you pay $14 and get some food, but you have to pay a couple of weeks ahead of time. That didn't help for that day, and I didn't have the money to pay.

I have a lot of very Christian friends on Facebook. When I told them we did not have any food for Thanksgiving, they all became silent except one that told me to try Goodwill. One friend, an atheist, offered money, and she was not financially in a good place.

Once again, this is not to say every church is like that, but so, so many are. I have watched them pass the plate for missions in another country and then look at you like you have two heads if you are in need.

But they don't pay taxes.

The only religious organization that I have seen that has helped anyone has been the Roman Catholics. I have seen them consistently live by the WWJD lifestyle. They don't blow their horn about it, though.

But, regarding the food stamp issue, whether it should exist or not is beyond what I have to say. I think there are so many small towns that are very bad off in this state. Knoxville may have an unemployment rate of 7 percent, but Scott County has a rate of around 19 percent. A lot of people in the state live generation to generation on public assistance or disability.

And no, I have never used food stamps. I would qualify for them now, even as a business owner.

Maybe, 2 mares, your churches in your area are use to helping their community. That is truly great.

I always wondered if a list like this existed. I notice that TN may have a large percentage but it didn't have a huge increase. That is in keeping with my theory that this has been the situation here for awhile.

[themudpuppy]

I don't know of any churches around here with a food pantry. Most of our churches collect money for overseas missions and don't do much to help locals.

[Brian]

I believe some Catholic, Lutheran and the likes have food banks

Some Christian churches have Dinners after services usually on Sundays.

It may be worth to check out the Angel Food Ministries (sp?) program.