Motel 19
Everyone coming to a pantry travels down a path. For many, this journey is a real load lightener. As the finances erode, the house goes. And, of course, when the house goes, everything that was in it goes too.
Furniture, kitchen stuff, toys, clothes, tools, garden implements. By the time a person or family gets to Motel 19, things have slimmed down to a few clothes, a blanket or two, a hot plate, or maybe an electric skillet or microwave.
For the families living in Model 19, the children are usually eligible for the school breakfast and/or lunch program. But, that doesn’t cover eating at home. And, there’s no lunch program for the adults.
So…it’s off to the pantry.
Several families usually pile in a car and come over for an afternoon of pantry shopping. Or, an individual hitch hikes. In order for this trip to succeed, several guidelines to follow will help:
Try to arrive an hour or so before the pantry opens. This makes for a long wait but there’s more of a selection right when the pantry opens. Also, while waiting in line, there’s an opportunity to make new friends and learn a few survival skills if you’re new to the pantry experience.
Bring your own shopping bags. Some pantries don’t have enough of these much needed items.
Bring some ID. Some pantries require much: picture ID, proof of address, proof that other household members exist. This can be a bit tough if you’re homeless. Hint: some pantries require little to no identification
Be prepared to wait in a line. Use this time to meet your line neighbors. They can be helpful if you’re trying to navigate your way through DSS, if you’re being foreclosed upon, need your car repaired, etc.
As you wait in line, try to learn how the pantry works from those around you in the line. You’ll want to know how long you’ll be in the shopping room, what foods are usually on the shelves, what other pantries the people in line shop at, etc.
Don’t be afraid to let people know you’ve never been to a pantry.
Once you find a pantry you can use, go every time you’re allowed. If you’re lucky, you’ll have a pantry in your area which will allow weekly visits. Because pantry shopping takes so much time, shoppers sometimes just don’t go if they still have SNAP card money or if they have a few bucks left over from a paycheck. Your best bet is to go every week.
Why? Most pantries have different food every week and you may miss out on some real savings by not attending regularly.
Pantry shopping requires a totally new approach to cooking. So does cooking with only an electric skillet or microwave.
Some pantries have periodic visits from a nutritionist. Don’t be shy about asking him/her for any tips you might need to help this adjustment a bit easier for you. Nutritionists know a lot about the food you are now trying to cook with and they can answer any questions you might have.
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PS: This book is at the publisher’s now. It will be available SOON! You can order it at http://www.thurmangreco.com.
Thanks,
Thurman Greco
The Hunger Book is on the Editor’s Desk!
After what seems like eons, this hunger book is finally on the editor’s desk.
This book is long, complicated, and full of information focusing on a subject people know very little about – unless they live and/or work in it. Recently, on the advice of my editor, the book has been divided into three separate books.
Because of these changes, the hunger book will be easier to read and use.
With three volumes, we now have three titles:
“I Don’t Hang Out in Churches Anymore”
“The Unworthy Hungry”
“Hungry in America”
Of course, as a book progresses, things change and then they change again. So, whether it’ll have two sections or three, it’s true that the one volume was way too large.
I’m extremely excited about this project! Our goal for this project is to send the first volume to the publisher by mid-September.
Thank you for reading this blog. Please refer this article to your favorite social media network.
“A Healer’s Handbook” is now available! You can purchase it through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and my website: http://www.thurmangreco.com.
Thanks!
Thurman Greco
The Unworthy Hungry
Posts have been pretty sparse on this blog these past few months. I’m not neglecting the blog though. Actually, I’m putting quite a bit of energy into the subject because I’m moving right along on the book on hunger: “Unworthy Hungry”.
Books simply take many, many more hours than we ever dream they will. For months, I’ve spent most of my days and evenings focused on the book.
I really learned my lesson on “A Healer’s Handbook”. That book has been out several weeks. It’s available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The paper version is available at thurmangreco.com. And…it’s still in a pre publishing stage. If you get a book now, you’ll receive one of the first copies of this book.
Hundreds, no, thousands of person hours go into a book which gets chosen in about a minute and a half in a book store.
That being said, I’m really focused on having a copy of “Unworthy Hungry” available for you in less than a year.
This book is fairly complicated…because hunger is not a simple subject. Right now, it looks as though it’s going to be available in two different books with two different titles. I’m still searching for a title for the second book which is emerging. Right now, it’s looking like it’s going to be called “Hungry and the Heart”.
Meanwhile, if I had to give this project a score, I’d say it’s about 87% finished!
Wish me luck!
Thanks for reading this blog post.
Please share this article with your preferred social media outlet.
If you want to check out “A Healer’s Handbook”, the e-book is available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The paper book can be found at thurmangreco.com.
Thanks for your support!
To those who have already purchased copies of “A Healer’s Handbook”, I offer thanks and feedback is that you’re enjoying it.
Thurman Greco
