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Food Security

Have you faced food insecurity in the last year?

  • Yes

    Votes: 2 18.2%
  • No

    Votes: 9 81.8%

  • Total voters
    11

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
USDA ERS - Key Statistics & Graphics

10.5% of the US has faced food insecurities in 2019, and I am sure that these numbers are much higher amid the pandemic today. Have you or your family ever enountered or dealt with Food insecurity? Being unable to provide enough food to your family, without governmental assistance (such as WIC/SNAP, or Food Banks in the US).

I have. My family while making too much money to qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance, was not making enough to feed ourselves, and were utilizing food banks to the best of our ability to supplement what food we were able to afford.

Edit: One more No vote and we will hit the National average of 1/10 yes/no. 10/25 7:53pm PST.
 
Last edited:

ADigitalArtist

Veteran Member
Staff member
Premium Member
I answered no to the poll since it was just in the last year. But I have before, back when my dad's job contract was suddenly ended and his backup plan also didn't pan out. Mom got an appendicitis at about the same time.
Imo most everyone, certainly everyone in the middle class and lower class, is just a dice throw away from needing assistance programs.
 

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
I answered no to the poll since it was just in the last year. But I have before, back when my dad's job contract was suddenly ended and his backup plan also didn't pan out. Mom got an appendicitis at about the same time.
Imo most everyone, certainly everyone in the middle class and lower class, is just a dice throw away from needing assistance programs.

40% of Middle Class families are one paycheck away from financial hardship.

40% of Americans only one missed paycheck away from poverty
 

The Hammer

[REDACTED]
Premium Member
We would all be so lucky to just miss one, too, if you end up with a bad injury or your industry makes a severe turn.

I was involuntarily separated from the Military without a severance, 4 years ago, with very little notice (roughly 3 months to prepare). It's not hard, regardless of how secure one thinks things are.

And these systems aren't designed for you to be able to easily climb back out using them, as the programs are kept difficult to use by design, to discourage usage.
 

JustGeorge

Not As Much Fun As I Look
Staff member
Premium Member
We are not food insecure now, but we have been in the past. And we've also been in that spot, where we made slightly too much to qualify for help.

A curiosity was when, in the very short time before my husband and I were married, we had applied for SNAP. We received(for 3 people), approximately 400 a month. When we got married, though our income level did not change, when our status went from 'single' to 'married', we only received approximately 200 a month. So married people eat less? What complete and utter nonsense.

In the state of Iowa, anyone receiving SNAP benefits gets a biyearly letter stating the benefits of marriage. Never could figure out why they wasted the paper to send it until that moment...
 

Eyes to See

Well-Known Member
I would just like to add this here. Jehovah's Witnesses are affected by world events just like everyone else. They have set into place disaster relief committees around the world to care for the physical needs, including the providing of clothing, food, and housing/shelter of fellow believers. I was looking for one good video to show here, but typing in disaster relief found so many videos I will just share the link:

If there was one video out of all of them I would like to share, this is the one:

https://www.jw.org/en/library/videos/#en/mediaitems/VODActivitiesReliefWork/pub-jwbrd_201505_3_VIDEO

Also how Jehovah's Witnesses have been taking care of each other since the Covid-19 quarantines, it is so faith-strengthening to see how God cares for all of his people on earth:

https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/global/2020-Governing-Body-Update-5/
 

Brickjectivity

Turned to Stone. Now I stretch daily.
Staff member
Premium Member
My intuition is that its a good idea to immediately stock up on non-perishables.

I went to the shop today to buy some things, but I got angry and put everything back. This was second small store where half of everyone was wearing a mask and half were trying to make a political statement...chatting on the phone, joking around. The rest of us were trying to get in and out without contracting anything we might pass on to the elderly.

I HATE the Republican party for this.

I'm going back again later, hopefully I'll have better sense and just bull my way through all the nonsense. **** them all.
 

PoetPhilosopher

Veteran Member
I have enough food thanks to government assistance. My only financial struggles manifesting themselves right now is saving up enough to pay for some transgender related things. What I'm saying is that an additional government stimulus check would be nice, and Congress needs to pass it.... but that I'm living pretty much fine.
 

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
the programs are kept difficult to use by design, to discourage usage.

I don't suffer from food insecurity but volunteer at an organization which rescues food that would be thrown out and makes it available through various outlets including schools and churches. We also do the same for clothing, toys and books.

We don't ask people to prove they need assistance. Personally I'd much rather help 99 worthy people out of 100 instead of putting up barriers that results in helping 50 out of 100.
 

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Not at present, but I've been there in the past during the last recession. With higher ed being hit pretty hard during the current depression, well... I wouldn't put it past the university to furlough staff. Unfortunately, instead of gutting the bloated administrative structure it's more likely folks like me are going to get hit by it.
 
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