Why Don’t You All Go Out and Get a Job?
I’m sorry I’m late to work in the pantry today Thurman. I promise it won’t happen again. I was over at the pet store until just now unpacking and stacking the dog food. They gave me food for Chloe and Freedy in exchange for working today. I promise it won’t happen again.”
“Alice, don’t worry at all. Robyn happened by. Sometimes I think this pantry is charmed. People always surface when we need them. It’s very important for you to get pet food and you know how the building committee feels about pet food in the pantry.”
WHY ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN NEED OF A PANTRY? Why are there so many people in our country today? What is happening?
Employment opportunities are a large part of the problem. People find themselves down and out in places where there are few jobs. Young people graduate from high school or college and can’t find employment.
The downturn of 2008 erased many job opportunities. When the economy finally does recover, many of these jobs won’t be returning. My fear is that the recovery will create a new, large class of citizens permanently living in the poverty of underemployment and unemployment.
WE’VE ALREADY GOT A TERM FOR THIS GROUP: THE STRUGGLING CLASS.
Education costs are a factor. Fewer and fewer people can afford college these days. Some are afraid of the college loans they might not be able to pay off. One young woman in our line works 60 hours weekly in low wage jobs to repay her loan.
A fairly common question I hear in the pantry line is “Are you working on or off?” What they’re finding out with the question is how many hours a person is working on the books and how many hours off the books. Not only is this illegal but it’s robbing our younger generation of any benefit accrual, and the opportunity to pay taxes.
I ALSO HEAR STORIES ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD THEIR WAGES STOLEN BY EMPLOYERS. HUNGER ACTION NETWORK DESCRIBES THIS AS AN EPIDEMIC.
Our country needs to make a few fundamental attitude adjustments.
One important shift is to realize that food stamps, food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters are no longer emergency concepts. They are a new way of life in 21st century America. When we accept this fact, the shame factor will be removed and seniors and children will sleep better at night unaccompanied by their old friend hunger.
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Peace and food for all.
Thurman
