sucky food pantry "customer"

[Antisocial_Worker]

This makes me think of my sister-in-law's brother and his wife... I could write a book on those two -- about how they can never keep up the rent for a house for more than a few months and always end up mooching off SIL's mother for years at a time in between, how they piss their money away on vacations and Precious Moments figurines, how they can't keep a job... so on and so forth.

However, the incident that this thread brought to mind is how they've mooched off their church in addition to everyone else. It's the same church my brother and SIL attend. Basically, SIL's brother and his wife have gone to the church on numerous (probably about ten) occasions for everything from help with their bills to a donation of furniture for one of those rare occasions they actually managed to move out on their own.

They accepted, but did not care for, the furniture by the way, because it looked "a little beat up."

Anyway, it got to the point -- after paying brother and wife's bills on several occasions, after giving them furniture, after letting them store furniture after they got evicted from yet another house, after giving them a freaking air conditioner -- that the church popped its teat from their mouth and told them "no more." And this incensed them. Wife was heard to say, "With all the doctors and lawyers that go to this church, you'd think they could afford to help up more!"

[KellyHabersham]

Anyway, it got to the point -- after paying brother and wife's bills on several occasions, after giving them furniture, after letting them store furniture after they got evicted from yet another house, after giving them a freaking air conditioner -- that the church popped its teat from their mouth and told them "no more." And this incensed them. Wife was heard to say, "With all the doctors and lawyers that go to this church, you'd think they could afford to help up more!"

That reminds me of a story which my pastor had told me regarding a church which she'd previously served at - they had something set up to provide help with paying utility bills, and some woman (this being after her first time getting help) apparently planned/figured church assistance into her budget. I'm not sure how long she expected this to go on, but I think that after three months of receiving help, that church finally told her "No more".

[skeptic53]

Around 45 years ago, in the small city where we lived (25,000) my mom helped set up and run the "Health and Welfare Coordinating Council". This centralized the charity efforts of all the churches in town. Needy families were directed to apply there when they knocked on a church office or pastor's door. This was of course in response to the people who were scamming 10+ turkeys at holiday times, one from each church, plus gifts for their (sometimes non-existent) kids from each church, etc., or getting money for utilities or rent year-round. It worked very well and as far as I know is still in existence in that town.

[XCashier]

one idea you might pass on to your pastor is to have people "work" for the food they get. Mr Jedi does this and it works really well. If something needs fixing up at your building or you know someone in the congregation that needs help moving, the folks getting free food are part of the crew to help.

Around 45 years ago, in the small city where we lived (25,000) my mom helped set up and run the "Health and Welfare Coordinating Council". This centralized the charity efforts of all the churches in town. Needy families were directed to apply there when they knocked on a church office or pastor's door.

Both of these are really good ideas. The ones who want to work but are uncomfortable with a handout benefit the most, and it cuts down on the greedy, lazy ones who "work the system" and take without giving.

It's sad that it has to be this way, that so many people have no honor or decency anymore.

[Kristev]

Is it helpful to people who find that they have jobs, but no money? So every once in a great while, they need say, one box or so of food help every now and then?

[Whiskey]

Is it helpful to people who find that they have jobs, but no money? So every once in a great while, they need say, one box or so of food help every now and then?

Thats what food pantries are essentially for. Theyre for people who cant afford food. Minimum wage is not the minimum wage to survive in most states. If you dont qualify, they'll let you know. Its surprising that most people DO qualify. Take the help where you can get it.

[Kristev]

No, it's revolting that most people qualify. You'd think by now someone would have figured out labor law is supposed to protect labor.

[Seshat]

Totally agreed, Kristev.

Many of the major global charities are now working off the concept of a 'living wage'. This is the local cost of decent, climate-appropriate housing (not necessarily pretty, but not a rat-infested dump); plus nutritious and sufficient food, clean water, medical care, clothing suitable to and sufficient for the area, appropriate furnishings, etc etc etc.

The clothes, furniture etc doesn't have to be pretty, and can be second- or third- or fifth-hand stuff. What it has to be is functional, and suitable for the climate.

Living wage calculations aren't done precisely zip code by zip code - nooone expects a reasonable 'minimum wage' calculation to exist for zip code 90210, for example! But if your workplace is in 90210, your living wage calculation is based on the cheapest decent housing within a reasonable commute, including the cost of said commute. (I'm being a bit vague because each charity, the United Nations, and other interested parties has their own idea of 'reasonable commute', 'decent housing' and so on. But they do agree on the basic concept.)

Basically, the living wage is the genuine cost of living without being so poor you have to choose between buying ramen and vaccinating the children.

By this calculation, if you can't make the living wage for your area, you're below the poverty line.


Google produces a lot of results for 'living wage', if you want further information.

[KellyHabersham]

No, it's revolting that most people qualify. You'd think by now someone would have figured out labor law is supposed to protect labor.

I don't know as that most people qualify.......I'm poor by most anyone's standards, but based on what I make at the library job alone, I don't qualify for most forms of assistance. Which unfortunately includes food banks......I've heard that some in the area are really picky about income, and they would consider me too "rich" to get help.

[EricKei]

This reminds me of something I witnessed after the fact in the days after Katrina -- the military and churches and such would set up trucks in parking lots where you could go to get free water, toiletries, diapers, MRE's, et al. The typical thing to do is you pull up, they ask you to pop the trunk, and they fill it (asking if you need "case-by-case" items like diapers first, of course).

One set of cars had been surrounded by police cars...they had been *passing a baby* between a number of different cars, then sending the next car back thru the line, in order to get extra packages of diapers to sell on the.."ahem"...market. Only one or two of these families even had babies, and yet they easily got several DOZEN huge packs of diapers that could have gone to people who really needed them.

[Mytical]

I don't know as that most people qualify.......I'm poor by most anyone's standards, but based on what I make at the library job alone, I don't qualify for most forms of assistance. Which unfortunately includes food banks......I've heard that some in the area are really picky about income, and they would consider me too "rich" to get help.

This is what is known as 'working poor', like myself. Make just enough to not qualify for any type of assistance at all, but not enough to afford such things as medical care and such.

[artcurmudgeon]

I got laid off in dec 08 and was out of work until aug 09. During this time I used several food pantries to help us get by as the only work I had was from contract it work(few and far between) and temp work, (which took half the pay because of child support). I saw so many people abusing the system with a scary sense of entitlement, I just wanted to work and take care of my family.

I have seen the poor, the destitute, and the disenfranchised, and 90% want out of their circumstances. Its the other 10% that need to sterilized, lobotomized, and put out of their and our misery.

My reasons for this "dislike" stem from a long line of hate I was on the receiving end of because my wife is british and my step son is handicapped. Hearing perfectly healthy people complain that I am taking their precious health resources by bring my wife and step son over and now being out of work. Yeah, my wife has been called a dirty "furiner" (said just like it sounds) more times than I can count.

Sadly it is things like this that have contributed to my curmudgeonly ways....

[Kristev]

I have to admit that I am also a member of the working poor.

[fattie20xl]

I think the church should be willing to cut off help to anybody it feels abuses the system or the workers. The church has no obligation to help anybody and should be willing to cut off those who cause trouble.

the church has a total moral obligation to help EVERYbody. that's the purpose of a church.

now, people that take advantage of that and screw other people who need the church's help should go kill themselves.

[chainedbarista]

moral obligation, yes, but when people are taking advantage of the system intended to help those who truly need the help, then the cutoff line starts there.

when people mooch/leech things purposely, it interferes with aiding those who actually need it but end up missing out because of said leeches.