Amid recession, Memphis becomes America's hunger capital

[unhappycamper]

Amid recession, Memphis becomes America's hunger capital
By Shashank Bengali | McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It wasn't long ago that Rachel Cales volunteered at her church's food pantry, bagging canned goods and emergency provisions for families that had fallen on hard times.

Last May, however, Cales lost her job managing a yogurt shop. Her elder daughter was about to be married and her two teenage children were living at home and looking for work. Suddenly, she couldn't afford the groceries her family needed, and she had to turn to the pantry for help.

"I never thought we'd have to ask anyone for food," said Cales, who lives on a tree-lined street in eastern Memphis, in a two-story house with prim blue shutters.

She's far from alone. This Southern city, long famous for blues and barbecue, has earned a grim new distinction: the hunger capital of the United States.

As more and more Americans struggle to pay their bills, a recent survey co-sponsored by Gallup found that 26 percent of people in greater Memphis couldn't afford to buy the food their families needed at some point over the previous 12 months, the highest rate in the nation.


Rest of article at http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/26/91171/amid-recession-memphis-becomes.html



unhappycamper comment: And in other news, President Obama requests another $40 billion dollars to continue the Afghanistan occupation. Call me silly, but I think the occupations are just plain wrong - economically, politically and morally.

[madrchsod]

1. Memphis---1.5 billion since 2001......and the trade off numbers

http://costofwar.com/

http://www.nationalpriorities.org/tradeoffs?location_type=4&state=47&town=0.001564360000000000000000000000&program=585&tradeoff_item_item=999&submit_tradeoffs=Get+Trade+Off

[area51]

2. Yep.

There's a never-ending money spigot for Obama's two wars of choice, but when it comes to taking care of people who actually pay the taxes for these wars, it's "tough luck, Charlie".

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. K/R

[Starry Messenger]

4. k & r

[Uncle Joe]

5. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, unhappycamper.

[electricD]

6. that one hits close to home here

My family and I live JUST north of Memphis with almost all of my employment coming from companies based in or around the area. I've lived here all of my life. I've seen so many ups and downs for this town.

Last year, work was really bad and this year isn't looking much better. During my on and off again working spurts last year, I asked my employer how long did he think this may go on because I knew it was bad everywhere and not much chance of just pulling the pin and finding equal pay some place else.
I was told by him that he didn't have a chrystal ball and he had no way of knowing either. I told him I was almost desparate, was getting close to loosing my home. He basically told me, don't worry, they can't eat ya.

Ya know?, I got REALLY pissed. I knew that things were bad. I was seeing lay-offs and furlows going on everywhere I turned. I have family in other trades than mine, it's bad for them too but, where does a person WITH a job get off giving a smartassed ansewer like that?, a person wants to explode.

How does some one sleep with themself with the attitude of,"I've got mine, fuck you!"

I've been truely blessed by God to have been able to come through this past year and a half with only my credit burnt alittle bit. I haven't lost my home, my kids have had food to eat, maybe not the most nutritious that they need but nonetheless, food.

I know I'm not the poster child for Memphis hunger but, I can relate.

[Liberal_in_LA]

7. K&R

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. The woman highlighted in the story should have made a different choice with respect to her job

"There was no warning," Cales recalled. "She said I could be a regular employee at $7 an hour ... and I told her, no, I didn't want to do that. So she told me to get my stuff and leave."



Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/03/26/91171/amid-recession-memphis-becomes.html#ixzz0jRbVxUAX