Grady wrote: I wouldn't think a truly poor urban neighborhood would be a Walmart target location anymore than would be a very wealthy neighborhood.
But Wal-Mart thrives on the poor, first the rural poor, both as workers they can underpay and as poor people can stretch paychecks and benefits shopping there. With the high percentage of poor in America, according to goverment numbers, they are a valuable market share.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
And food stamps are just a supplement to whatever other income or food sources you may have.
I'm no expert on it, but if you Google "how to eat healthy on $100 a month" you'll find all kinds of results, many with menus and recipes.
So I'll ask, can you eat healthy on a $130 a month food stamp supply as the links claim?
And so far as eating healthy goes, I'll agree many don't eat healthy by choice and not just due to money. I know I can afford to buy veggies and fruits, not that I buy that much. I just like the meat, bread, potatos, and cheese better, so long as it's with a salad.
You need to go back and read the original post. The subject is "poverty" and how much we have spent since LBJ's War on Poverty.
And food stamps are just a supplement to whatever other income or food sources you may have.
I'm no expert on it, but if you Google "how to eat healthy on $100 a month" you'll find all kinds of results, many with menus and recipes.
So I'll ask, can you eat healthy on a $130 a month food stamp supply as the links claim?
And so far as eating healthy goes, I'll agree many don't eat healthy by choice and not just due to money. I know I can afford to buy veggies and fruits, not that I buy that much. I just like the meat, bread, potatos, and cheese better, so long as it's with a salad.
You need to go back and read the original post. The subject is "poverty" and how much we have spent since LBJ's War on Poverty.
I think I was addressing the original post, and some of the responses regarding hunger and healthy eating.
It seems to me you can be poor and still eat healthy on food stamps alone. And that's not even considering other income you may have (like welfare or a job) and other sources or discounts for food (like food banks and coupons). The original post was saying in this country you can be considered poor but that it doesn't mean you are necessarily hungry or malnourished. But I know people's personal situations can vary a lot.
As I said, I was basing it on a Google search and just asked the question if people agree. One can also search "eat healthy on $20 (or $25 or $30) a week".
Many of the people I work with are living day to day. One day I talked with a mom who had two dollars to feed her family with that night. The bulk of her paycheck went to pay rent and utilities. She mostly fed her kids with her tips. A bad day meant no dinner. I tried to talk with her about planning a menu, but getting far enough ahead to shop responsibly was utterly beyond her. It's often difficult to appreciate the reality the poor live in. Would education help? Absolutely. Where are they supposed to get it?
chickaree wrote: Many of the people I work with are living day to day. One day I talked with a mom who had two dollars to feed her family with that night. The bulk of her paycheck went to pay rent and utilities. She mostly fed her kids with her tips. A bad day meant no dinner. I tried to talk with her about planning a menu, but getting far enough ahead to shop responsibly was utterly beyond her. It's often difficult to appreciate the reality the poor live in. Would education help? Absolutely. Where are they supposed to get it?
I'm just asking general questions because maybe I'll learn something.
Did the people you work with qualify for food stamps? They are supposed to be used only for food so there shouldn't be a choice between food or paying the rent. But I hear they can be sold for cash which I think is illegal.
Reading about the food stamp requirements, it seems the main roadblock in getting food stamps is that your "resources" must be below $2000. But they don't count home value, SSI, certain welfare (TANF), or most retirement plans (which I assume would include Social Security). After that, income is supposed to below about $12K for a single person. It looks like seniors can get food stamps too with some modified rules.
I volunteered for several years preparing income taxes for low income people and seniors. Most all of the low income people I dealt with who weren't seniors didn't owe any income tax, but they ended up getting a "refund" (EIC) averaging over $2000 which could be used for rent or food, or whatever else they wanted to use it for. You must at least have some employment to get that, though.
The food stamps often don't cover the month, many others fall into the crack of earning too much for assistance, but not enough to cover expenses. Our group does what it can to help people learn how to draw up budgets and connect them with groups that can help, but there are more people out there who need help than there are helpers. I'm sure there are some that work the system. Honestly, I have run into very few. One heartbreaking instance was a family whose son suffered from gluten intolerance. His special diet destroyed their budget.
chickaree wrote: The food stamps often don't cover the month, many others fall into the crack of earning too much for assistance, but not enough to cover expenses. Our group does what it can to help people learn how to draw up budgets and connect them with groups that can help, but there are more people out there who need help than there are helpers. I'm sure there are some that work the system. Honestly, I have run into very few. One heartbreaking instance was a family whose son suffered from gluten intolerance. His special diet destroyed their budget.
It sounds like a great group you are working with! :thumbsup:
chickaree wrote: The food stamps often don't cover the month, many others fall into the crack of earning too much for assistance, but not enough to cover expenses. Our group does what it can to help people learn how to draw up budgets and connect them with groups that can help, but there are more people out there who need help than there are helpers. I'm sure there are some that work the system. Honestly, I have run into very few. One heartbreaking instance was a family whose son suffered from gluten intolerance. His special diet destroyed their budget.
You do not need to be in need to work the system. I know someone in San Diego who runs with an elite crowd of rich retired women. She has been subsidized with section 8 housing for years.
chickaree wrote: The food stamps often don't cover the month, many others fall into the crack of earning too much for assistance, but not enough to cover expenses. Our group does what it can to help people learn how to draw up budgets and connect them with groups that can help, but there are more people out there who need help than there are helpers. I'm sure there are some that work the system. Honestly, I have run into very few. One heartbreaking instance was a family whose son suffered from gluten intolerance. His special diet destroyed their budget.
You do not need to be in need to work the system. I know someone in San Diego who runs with an elite crowd of rich retired women. She has been subsidized with section 8 housing for years.
