5000 turnout for Southern CA food giveway. Turnout stuns organizers

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-foodbank23-2008nov23,0,6313298.story

Thousands turn out for separate offerings of free food and mortgage help. Some leave empty-handed.
By Ruben Vives, Bob Pool and Rong-Gong Lin II
November 23, 2008

Some sought a cart of groceries the week before Thanksgiving, others sought a way to keep from losing their homes in the new year. By the thousands, a diverse group of Southern Californians converged on two events Saturday aimed at helping families in hard economic times.

The problems, and the aid offered, were vastly different. But both reflected the worries and needs of many.

In Montebello, nearly 5,000 turned out for a food giveaway, a number that stunned organizers who had tried to keep it a low-key event, targeting publicity to several churches and schools. But word of mouth proved stronger than a few fliers, and crowds inundated Montebello Park. A diverse mix of people stood in a six-hour-long line -- families from middle- and working-class communities, including Pico Rivera, Montebello, Norwalk and Whittier. No one left empty-handed, though.

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Filling empty cupboards


"We're used to seeing low-income people and seniors on a fixed income coming in. Now we're seeing more and more middle-class people coming in -- people who just lost their job, are trying to pay their mortgage, or tapping into their 401(k) because of the huge financial losses," said Darren Hoffman, a spokesman for the regional food bank.

[glowing]

1. Ummm, if middle class people are needing help, they are no longer middle class.

The term middle class is dead. Unless your living costs are at least 50% of your income, then you are not middle class.. most people have used up all their credit, because pay wasn't good enough, and now jobs are being cut.. what did they think would happen when they increased the cost of everything.. but didn't increase the wages?

[Daemonaquila]

3. This!

No kidding. Ex-middle-class lining up at the food bank = poor now. Thanks.

[roguevalley]

10. there is a lot of silent suffering going on right now. :(

[ColbertWatcher]

11. "silent suffering" so true.

This didn't just start.

Where was the GOP-controlled media when this stuff started years ago?

[roguevalley]

12. converting their tax cuts into euros.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Appears to be the incipient stage of a long and deep recession...thanks Bushie...dumb shit GOP

[area51]

4. K&R

2nd Great Depression; this has been going on since 2001. I sure hope Obama can bring us out of it.

[tsuki]

5. I wonder how many people 20 million would have fed? eoq

[acmavm]

7. I wonder how many poor 700 billion would have fed.

[glowing]

6. I notice towards the end of the article it is talking about mortgages..

AND its very true that they refuse to help unless you are behind. I called my mortgage company.. I was asking for a deferment only on the mortgage.. keep up with the PMI and the Escrow account... Nope, they won't do anything until your behind at least 3 months. How does this help people. Most want to try and stem the loss before it becomes like that.

[XOKCowboy]

8. Up to 40,000 showed up at a local farm giving away free produce

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_11052263

The demand was so strong that they had to cancel today's giveaway. People are hurting folks.

[sixmile]

9. This is heartbreaking

Could these events be the precursors to the 'food riots' predicted earlier this year?