Help With Food

Since the last party, I have given out quite a bit of food. People have helped out with bringing food and that's great, in fact, God bless every person that has done so!
A couple of times in the last month, I have advertised on Craigslist "Food" heading and then inside of the ad I commit to giving one family $40 worth of food. The "winning" family only need send a list of what they think they would like to receive and I go to Fry's and buy it up. Usually, the lists are full of requests for meat.

The sad truth is, many of these families are people who have had 2 - great - incomes and are now faced with NO-ONE in the house working because of layoffs. The desperate tones I read again and again are heart-wrenching. Unemployment benefits only go so far. Even food stamps are usually insufficient to get people through an entire month, more like less than half a month. I've received emails from people who are going to church food handouts and going to the food banks. The problem with most of this is the fact that a lot of it is lacking in the meat department.

This week, Fry's is having a sale on meats that is pretty outstanding. 77 cents per pound chicken drumsticks. 97 cents per pound assorted pork loin chops. $1.88 per pound super lean ground beef - that's a GREAT deal for 93% lean beef.

I was there today, they had milk on sale - GALLON containers for 99 cents! Also had shredded and bar cheese for a buck a package. What am I encouraging you, those that can do something, to do? Yes. Go to Fry's, but $20 worth of food, get on Craigslist, say what you have. I guarantee you you will have more emails than you can deal with. Many of the people include the story of how they got to where they are at, and folks, it ISN'T pretty. You can make a 20 dollar bill go pretty far at Fry's right now.

And/or, I will unabashedly ask for money to buy food for those people. I could copy and paste dozens and dozens of emails just from the ad I ran the other day. I don't want to do that because I had to reveal a person's privacy, so I won't. BTW, many of these people are families with children. I can only do so much - my finances are as limited as anyone else's - but I do what I can. If you want to help out, I am going to give out a rather unique email address I have that I hardly use: trooperrat@aol.com - if you want to help me help others, simply email me at that address and I will give you my paypal account ID.

I have no problem asking the folks that have to give if they want to help the folks that do not have, as I am not going to take a single penny of anything for myself, as is the case with several donations I have received thus far. If you have a problem with it, well, I can only say my conscience is clear and will stay that way because my intenions are pure, and if that hasn't come out by now after all this time, there is nothing I can say that would change a person's mind, anyway.

Let me emphasize that I am NOT condemning folks that have that don't want to give to those that don't have enough food to eat. That is purely your decision and your right. My point is that the people that are asking are NOT moochers or life-long beggars, draining the system and abusing government handouts through food stamps and housing subsidies. I don't even have a problem with housing subsidies or food stamps - it's just become quite obvious that there are people out there abusing the system. No, the people that I am getting email from are people who are hard-working Americans, have an excellent work-ethic, and simply cannot find jobs right now. I give out food and I see it in their faces and they even voice it: they have never done anything like that before and feel very uncomfortable with it, but, their need is so great, they will do what they have to to survive.

Anyway, hope you all have a great day and my the Lord bless you and yours abundantly in every way!
ben

Switch

So, I've totally changed my thinking about this situation and have been posting ads for free, cooked meals on any day that anyone wants to come. This seems to me to be more useful to those that have lost their jobs and are scratching and clawing to get by.
The meals I am giving out are not soup and crackers.
The thing that is happening that I am really liking is the fact that many people have now emailed me and said they are going to start feeding people that live in their area as well.
I am still considering doing another party - perhaps at a nearby park. However, it's much easier to execute such a thing at home with everything at hand instead of having to load everything up into the car and haul it over there.
So - I'm still not sure what I'm going to do about that and since I have started a different approach to this situation, I'm not feeling very pressed about it. There is 1 family and several individuals that are coming over today for dinner.

The people that are writing are seriously hurting. I'm not talking life-long moochers of the system, I'm talking about people with extreme work ethics who have been laid off from their jobs. These people would NEVER in normal times ask anyone for anything. One of the people that has come over here was obviously having a problem with their own view of taking handouts. As I have repeatedly stated - I make this a painless process. I am all about preserving the dignity of folks that are hit upon very bad times.

My statement for repayment someday is simply this: pay it forward. I don't want to be repaid, I want those people to see an opportunity when they are back on their feet to help someone out in whatever way and help them instead. This is the mentality of the society my parents grew up in - people that went through the Great Depression. This is the America that I know and love. Politics and harsh, personal opinion need to take a backseat when considering whoever it is that you know or know of that could use a helping hand - but that's just my opinion.
ben

Update

Food handouts and people coming over for food to eat - already cooked stuff - is slowly gaining interest.
A few factors that are causing people not to come that otherwise would are first: wondering whether I'm a nutcase/kook/the next mass murdered and second: human traits: pride and dignity definitely get in the way.
I'm a pretty laid-back person, I make the process as painless as possible.
A lady that had come to the party just stopped by here - they moved here from out-of-state not long ago and her boyfriend just found a job 2 days ago.
In the interim - they don't have much to eat.
They came here because there were no jobs where they were at.

Those stories are endless at this point in time - the news is reporting statements that the end of the freefall may be near. All nice and well, tell that to the almost 700,000 people who lost their jobs last month.

I also had the idea the other day of simply taking a person to Fry's (a grocery chain in Arizona) last week and get them $40 worth of food. The replies to that Craigslist ad were endless. I had it up less than 24 hours. Probably only needed to have it up 20 minutes! I just posted the ad and then went to bed, went to work and didn't get to check email until I got home. I truly wish I could have helped all of them - especially considering some of the stories that came with the replies of families that are cash-strapped, not eating well - or hardly at all - a lot of desperation out there.

Anyway, I won't be doing that again as I can't really afford to do that, I just wanted to do it once. There have also been some offers from people to bring food over. Anyone wanting to do that I will gladly accept it and give it out to those that stop by.

As for another party - just not sure yet. I've kinda busied myself giving out food both by having people over that are hungry, have them sit down and eat and also by simply giving stuff away. I have toyed with the idea of a "Park Restaurant" - having something like I had at my house - excepting doing it at a park. A lot more work that way, yes, but I imagine more people would be inclined to come since it isn't at a private residence.

ben

Impromtu Parties

Folks, I'm just going to start throwing impromptu, short-notice parties. Another almnost 700,000 people lost their jobs last month. That's insane. I read about families all over the place suffering greatly. I can't handle that. I can do my own, small part - and I'm going to do it whenever I can. I give away food here and there on Craigslist. After the last party, I advertised some leftover stuff and the first family was here in less than 25 to 30 minutes after I posted the ad, asking for the food. I wanted to honor those that gave money and food towards the party and give it to people that really need it.

I have no idea where any of this is going to end. I don't believe anytime soon. In the interim, families that were living off of good/decent/whatever incomes are now on unemployment benefits and probably food stamps. You pay your bills - if you can do that on unemployment - and there isn't going to be anything left over. Food stamp benefits are awesome for those that need it - but doubtful enough to last an entire month.

As long as I'm still employed and bringing in a paycheck along with having tenants - I will do what I can. And again, I want to thank everyone that brought food for the party. Much of it was devoured - most of the rest of it was given to hungry people. Your food did not go to waste and it helped some people - if ever so temporal.
ben