For anyone who is hungry or eating poorly because you are poor.

[.... callchet ....]

It is not your fault. Demand dignity. I don't know what to do to help. If I had money, I would be all over this country demanding dignity for the poor. But I don't and I never will. Somebody must care that has money to do something. Life , liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is a right and it is a dignity.

[graywarrior]

1. I wonder if food stamps are keeping supermarkets alive these days.

[hlthe2b]

2. My shock factor is out the roof on food prices...

Granted I do not cook, "really cook" (beyond nuking or steaming a few veggies and rice)--hardly ever, but with everything going up, the crock pot is back out and I'm trying hard to do so... But, I just priced what my old winter standbys will cost me now and I'm so damned shocked. I thought I was in Whole Foods pricing organic beef, for a moment and not Safeway. I priced ham for the first time (in probably years) for my pinto bean soup--Oh, my God! Then there was the price of stewing beef for my Mom's classic vegetable beef soup. I wanted to cry.

I'm working and because I can easily stretch out these meals over many days, I can justify the price I guess, but who the heck is buying all those steaks, chops, and other higher grades of meat--much less the fresh seafood?! Obviously not too many, I guess, since the selection really sucked at both big name grocery stores I checked out and regardless of day of week. I don't eat much meat so I guess that's why I'm so clueless on the price increases, but wow. Sure you can live on Ramen noodles, I guess, but to eat really healthy is becoming a daunting experience, even for a single person.

Once or twice a month, I'd always treated myself to my favorite pint of Haagen Daz--Mango Ice Cream... Now, on sale it is $3.99 for a pint!
Hey, I'm not starving or anything, but it is hurting, badly and like so many, I am scared as to what the future will bring. I mean, at some point one runs out of areas in which to "cut back."

[Tangerine LaBamba]

3. The prices keep going up

I didn't have to do food shopping for a whole year, from March of 2007 to March of 2008, and I was prepared for the higher prices when I returned to the grocery store. Still, it was shocking, but I had steeled myself for it.

Now, even after gas prices have gone down, the prices of everything - every single thing - continue to rise. I can't imagine how anyone can feed a family with prices being what they are.

[sandnsea]

4. Yep

And some wonder why I get so angry when some DUers say how cheap it is to feed a growing family, if people were just smarter in what they bought. Everything is damned expensive and a refrigerator freezer only holds so much.

[kestrel91316]

15. Some of us DUers get angry hearing complaints about the cost of

convenience foods, so it works both ways.

I sometimes wish I could afford the luxury of food prepared by someone else rather than always having to take the time to do it myself.

[hlthe2b]

25. heh, heh... "convenience" food for me, is breakfast cereal, soup,

or 3/$5 lean cuisines..... But, given how breakfast cereal has gone up, maybe only canned soup or ramen! LOL


I suspect we have a wide range of interpretations on that among DUers, though...But, no, I don't frequent the prepared food showcase at "whole paycheck" and splurging on eating out typically consists of a "naked (tortilla-less)burrito" at Qdoba's or a meal at Boston Market once in a blue moon... But yes, I know what you mean...

[Tindalos]

10. Cut back on meat by adding mushrooms

Mushrooms add a protein-like texture to dishes. If you add some mushrooms, you can probably cut out some of the meat.

[hlthe2b]

12. I'm already with you on that one...

But, I am also rather shocked at the price of fresh white button mushrooms-- not exactly an exotic type.... I nearly paid beef prices for portabellas the other day...

But, generally, I agree.

[Tindalos]

17. Yeah, the prices are ridiculous sometimes

I try to shop with no preconceived notions and just buy whatever is affordable. The store I usually go to puts bags of older mushrooms on sale. They're a bit squishy but perfectly edible.

[shraby]

18. I don't think there is a lot of food value in mushrooms though.

[aquart]

19. Oddly, I noticed beef went sky high immediately after the mad cow scandal.

Even though the United States refused to do any extra testing.

[blue sky at night]

5. I know that organized religion is not popular around here....

but many churches are and have been feeding the hungry for years....just go and ask. Our church is part of the Interfaith Hospitality Network, where we take in homeless families for a week at a time in a program designed to get them back on their feet. We also run a Free Lunch Program. Many Churches in our area do the same. An even better idea is if you aren't hungry, get to work helping those who are.

[liberalmuse]

6. One year when my daughter was a toddler...

I was so poor I couldn't afford a Christmas tree or food, and I didn't get the notice from the gas company and came home one day to find our heat turned off. I went around places for help and the only place that could help us was Catholic Services. I've never been Catholic. They helped get the gas turned back on and gave us a tiny plastic Christmas tree. My mom was visiting after Christmas so I ended up dragging in the neighbor's discarded tree and using the decorations from the plastic table tree. I didn't want her to know how bad off we were. I would highly recommend a church. Jesus said, 'feed the hungry', and this is also one of the reasons they get tax exempt status.

[southernyankeebelle]

20. Yes they are good at helping the poor

The catholic church was always good at help people no matter what religion a person was. I worked for a catholic priest as a secretary on a military base. I remember once a civilian lady's home burnt down. Our church sent 3 bags full of grocerys for her. She wasn't catholic but we were happy to help. If every church would do like our church did they would always have food on hand to help. Every sunday morning we had a childrens mass. While they prepared for communion they played a song and had baskets on the alter where children bought up can goods. The children loved doing it and it really was wonderful.

[skooooo]

7. It's not my fault??

If I have plenty of money and eat poorly, it's my fault. Lots of people eat poorly who could make better choices.

[.... callchet ....]

8. I was not talking about people with plenty of money.

There has not been any talk about nutrition habits of the wealthy on here. The conversation has been about people forced to live out of dumpsters.
I was talking about people that live out of dumpsters. I will correct that now.

[skooooo]

21. I'm sorry..

....I did not take that into account. Sorry.

[.... callchet ....]

23. Nothing to it. I should have said it and I did correct it.

[hlthe2b]

9. It is becoming increasingly difficult for those with little money

to eat healthy. THAT is a large reason behind the explosion of type II diabetes and other chronic diseases. Cheap food is quite often NOT healthy food--full of trans fats and high fructose corn syrup or empty calories.

The OP was not referring to those of us who often eat crap knowingly though we have the resources, education, and opportunities to do otherwise.

See my post upstream for example... Just trying to recreate the very healthy and economical crockpot meals from my childhood (pinto bean and ham soup--served with hearty brown bread or brown rice, vegetable beef soup, etc) have sent me into "sticker" shock

[skooooo]

22. yes..

Probably my post did not belong in this thread.

[.... callchet ....]

24. Funny thing is that no matter what I say, I always get reamed for it

and I thought well I am safe on this one, and then your post got me. I knew right away that you were talking about something else, but it was really funny to me. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[varelse]

11. Thank you for this - "It is not your fault. Demand dignity. "

If we could make empathy as contagious as the common cold, no one would be suffering alone and without dignity or respect. No one would be freezing to death in his truck, a few feet away from his starving dogs. No one would be beaten to death for holding hands with his brother - or gang raped in retaliation for her need to share her love with other women rather than with men. No one would die alone and untouched in a hospel, from a disease that is viewed by far too many as the wages of sin, and feared irrationally by many more who are simply ignorant.

And NO ONE in this country full of food, clothing, empty housing and luxury goods would be STARVING.

No one.

[hlthe2b]

13. I think those who are so cruelly judgemental or dismissive...

are generally using this attitude to deflect their own fear, their own vulnerabilities. Such "holier than thou" judgemental attitudes define most REPUGS... But, when I see otherwise liberal,progressive being less than fully empathetic, it is very depressing.

[maryf]

14. One thing you can do...

Is continue being the media as you are here, inform yourself, write Letters, emails, call your representatives frequently, put their emails in your address book, and talk, talk, talk, We've gotta be the media, as the media is marginalizing the poor, thanks for caring!! K&R

[JitterbugPerfume]

16. I reminded a "friend"

who is WAY to religious recently that Jesus said "As you do unto the least of these , you do unto me"

She was giving me the Socialism is evil speech.