Picked up about $500 worth of rice and bean supplies and my pantry is open for business!

[AZrailwhale]

I figure a steady diet of beans, rice and powdered milk would get old pretty quick to those who aren't starving, But for the truly hungry they would be happy to have that.

There were homeless when I was a kid but they were called 'hoboes' back then. They would show up at a kitchen door offering work for food. My mother would always have a chore for them--clean out/clean up this or that, stack firewood or whatever--nothing really strenuous or time consuming--in return for a hot meal or food he could take to his family. The depression era works program also returned compensation for actual work even if a lot of that was pretty much 'make work.'

But in both cases, it allowed a person the dignity of earning instead of just begging, pride and sense of self worth that he earned what he received. That is a terribly important thing. No form of entitlement is created. People are rewarded for taking responsibility for themselves and doing what they can to support themselves and their families.

The current administration policy of requiring work--community service or whatever--of those able to do that in return for those EBT cards, etc. is a very humane and constructive policy. And could change the character of millions from being beggars to knowing and appreciating the dignity of work.

Those depression era "make work" projects turned out to be valuable for the nation. In 1973 my Combat Engineer company was restoring and rehabbing trails, bridges and cabins built by the CCC in the thirties. Mostly great workmanship that lasted and it was a win-win, the Forestry Service provided the materials we used, and we provided the skilled, or semi-skilled labor and used it as a training opportunity. We enjoyed it because it gave us the chance to actually build useful, lasting things.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Something else you can't prove.

I just bought a ten-pound bag of medium sized potatoes at Frys for three dollars and sixty cents.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Yes there are many recipes out there for good, well balanced meals using more inexpensive ingredients. Ground chuck at something like $7/lb here though isn't really an inexpensive ingredient.

93/7 is about that price here, basic 80/20 hamburger is $3.82 a pound at Walmart. Buy a pound split it five ways and use it as a seasoning rather than the base for a meal and even one pound will go a long way.

 

[Foxfyre]

Those depression era "make work" projects turned out to be valuable for the nation. In 1973 my Combat Engineer company was restoring and rehabbing trails, bridges and cabins built by the CCC in the thirties. Mostly great workmanship that lasted and it was a win-win, the Forestry Service provided the materials we used, and we provided the skilled, or semi-skilled labor and used it as a training opportunity. We enjoyed it because it gave us the chance to actually build useful, lasting things.

Absolutely. Forty and fifty years later, we fished in conservation ponds that were damned and/or dug during that era and were still useful all those decades later. There were some things though--shelterbreaks (we erroneously called them wind rows) planted on the prairie for soil conservation were often pretty ineffective though they also remained in place decades later and nobody thought to take them out.

But whether useful or not so much, work projects are far superior to 'charity' or hand outs as they allow people the dignity of honest labor and do not create generations of entitlement mentality.

 

[WEATHER53]

It certainly helped build a strong foundation of personal responsibility, accountability, work ethic, sense of right and wrong that generally moves a civilization forward in productivity, morality, compassion, common sense. That is lacking in far too many cases among the present generation.

We knew we had no money for anything extra and had motivation to change that

 

[Foxfyre]

I used to have sympathy for the "homeless and hungry" until I spent five years working on L.A.'s skid row. I saw that the pan handlers were all scam artists and the few really needy people had a lot of organizations willing to help them. I got to know the scammers and to a person, they thought I was a chump or working for "the man" every day when they generally scammed more in a day than I made. At least one of them had a nice car and commuted to his panhandling corner every day. I saw him doing it many times.

I personally know people though who, through no fault of their own, found themselves homeless and unable to afford the cheapest rent in a high housing cost area. Government subsidized housing often has long--we're talking years--waiting lists to get a crappy apartment. That problem is especially exacerbated by sanctuary cities/states that encourage illegals to take that houseing.

The only hope to keep some from living in their vehicle, if they have one, is to find somebody who would rent them a room, a garage, a tool shed, anything that provided some shelter.

So we need to be wary that we do not become so jaded by the irresponsible or scammers that we overlook the truly needy.

But neither should we be so gullible that we think allowing ourselves to be scammed is some noble thing.

 

[AZrailwhale]

Absolutely. Forty and fifty years later, we fished in conservation ponds that were damned and/or dug during that era and were still useful all those decades later. There were some things though--shelterbreaks (we erroneously called them wind rows) planted on the prairie for soil conservation were often pretty ineffective though they also remained in place decades later and nobody thought to take them out.

But whether useful or not so much, work projects are far superior to 'charity' or hand outs as they allow people the dignity of honest labor and do not create generations of entitlement mentality.

They also taught valuable skills.

 

[WEATHER53]

I personally know people though who, through no fault of their own, found themselves homeless and unable to afford the cheapest rent in a high housing cost area. Government subsidized housing often has long--we're talking years--waiting lists to get a crappy apartment. That problem is especially exacerbated by sanctuary cities/states that encourage illegals to take that houseing.

The only hope to keep some from living in their vehicle, if they have one, is to find somebody who would rent them a room, a garage, a tool shed, anything that provided some shelter.

So we need to be wary that we do not become so jaded by the irresponsible or scammers that we overlook the truly needy.

But neither should we be so gullible that we think allowing ourselves to be scammed is some noble thing.

I would say 99% are responsible for their own homelessness
I personally know of no one and know of no one who knows anyone who became homeless while diligently applying themselves to earning a living and taking care of priorities

 

[Meathead]

We have a lot of low income neighbors. I never asked them about their EBT benefits or whether they have any. I do know they have kids.

I have a large commercial rice cooker and right now 200 pounds of rice, 24 restaurant size cans of kidney beans and eight cases of Goya tomato sauce.

Additionally I have over a thousand packets of sazon..... We stand ready to start passing out the plates!

Give a man a fish, ...

 

[Fort Fun Indiana]

We have a lot of low income neighbors. I never asked them about their EBT benefits or whether they have any. I do know they have kids.

I have a large commercial rice cooker and right now 200 pounds of rice, 24 restaurant size cans of kidney beans and eight cases of Goya tomato sauce.

Additionally I have over a thousand packets of sazon..... We stand ready to start passing out the plates!

I don't know if you picked up this idea on the grapevine, but we now have a few restaurants doing this, in my city. Rice and beans.

 

[justoffal]

I don't know if you picked up this idea on the grapevine, but we now have a few restaurants doing this, in my city. Rice and beans.

It really is a great hunger fighter! Low investment, easy prep and with the help of a few Spanish neighbor mamas ..it's very tasty...

We're putting out good sized take out containers and today I went out to get some hams ( suggestion from a USMB poster)...Zincwarrior...

We put out 22 containers today.
I thought no one was Coming but when school let out we started seeing some traffic. Know most of them...a few new faces.

The EBT thing started hitting today... hopefully don't get bothered by food inspections....
Somehow I think they'll understand...

Jo

 

[justoffal]

Give a man a fish, ...

I hear that

 

[ThisIsMe]

A couple boxes of Zatarains, some sausage, some shrimp and were in business!

 

[justoffal]

A couple boxes of Zatarains, some sausage, some shrimp and were in business!

Never tried zatarains. Have to check it out.

 

[WEATHER53]

It’s a noble effort by an American
That right all you Canuck chirpers and Americans haters-America greatness and caring and sharing on display. My money says the food provider is white also and his supporters mostly same so all the multi screen name cowards who constantly rail about Whites can shove it also

 

[ThisIsMe]

Never tried zatarains. Have to check it out.

Cajun shrimp boil seasoning.