[CFrance]

My parents were not high-paid yuppies either.

I think you oversimplify when you ask why your family "never had to go to a soup kitchen to get free handouts." And I object to the passive-aggressiveness of the statement. You have no idea what causes some people to become mired in poverty. There are even homeless college graduates today. Mental stability, abusive family situations, having to escape from someone threatening while having no support system... It's not fair nor correct to make such a blanket statement. And the" free handout" part is very demeaning.

I started our church up north volunteering in a community soup kitchen. Part of our duties was to actually sit with and eat with the patrons. We heard a lot of stories of helplessness and despair.

[senior citizen]

.............

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

In later years, like now, they don't even put out wings anymore for soup, as they are used for barbecue wings in the deli section. But that was the good old days.

I get chicken wings all of the time at Publix. I make my own BBQ/hot wings from them.

They are definitely not as cheap as they were in the good old days. But then, nothing is.

Z

[senior citizen]

...........

[Old_As_Dirt]

Originally Posted by buggyone

I saw a figure in the Daily Sun a couple of days ago. It stated that 7,000 meals were served at the Wildwood Soup Kitchen in the month of June, 2014. The Christian Food Pantry of Lady Lake provided groceries to around 435 families in the area. The families range in size from one to 8 people.

That means there is a lot of poverty in this area. Businesses and individuals are wonderful in providing donations in cash and food and volunteers.

We, in The Villages, are just so fortunate that we (mostly) have all we need and are able to help others.

"We in the Villages" ….. I know many that live on a shoe string, all savings gone, all pensions gone. So there are needy here. The Daily Sun most likely will not do an artice on the needy among us.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

For those with true need, of course we would want to help them. Not talking about the truly needy. Our daughter & family belong to the United Church of Christ; they are always feeding those in need..........our experience has been the more shiftless type who just take advantage of the "system".....

I was just saying that none of us were even middle class back in the day.........but we never needed to go to a soup kitchen. They were able to provide. Perhaps my mom would have liked the luxury I had of being a stay at home mom.......but to supplement my dad's factory income (he had a congenital heart condition since birth) she pitched in working a man's job. None of our friends were rich. We all had meals at home.

p.s. All of the young unwed moms today get the wick program in our state......free cheese, milk, etc.,etc., etc.
It's all delivered to their front doors.........even if the grandparents are ultra rich.
Years ago, the families might have helped them......now everyone is dependent on government.

"Never had to go to a soup kitchen and get free handouts. I wonder why?"

You were lucky that there were no circumstances in your family that caused the inability to work/hold a job. That would be things like PTSD, being "gassed" in a war, or suffering from mental illnesses that back in the time there were no medications for, or being mentally retarded. All I'm saying is that to call it a "free handout" was demeaning and unnecessarily painting all people of poverty with the same brush. I really object to those kinds of statements and the sarcasm of the qusstion that was asked, "I wonder why?"

As far as wick is concerned, it was instituted to ensure good health the children as a preventative measure and to help those who couldn't afford to feed their children things other than fruit rollups and hot dogs. In my day, those of us who could afford milk and cheese, etc., did not use the program.

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by Old_As_Dirt

"We in the Villages" ….. I know many that live on a shoe string, all savings gone, all pensions gone. So there are needy here. The Daily Sun most likely will not do an artice on the needy among us.

As I am sure you noticed, I said "we in The Villages (mostly) have all we need".

There are some Villagers who are needy and come to the food pantry.

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by senior citizen

The 18 year old can't pour himself a bowl of cereal with milk & make some toast?
The parents are obese so obviously they have some money for food as well as their "preferred" consumables.

Originally Posted by senior citizen

For those with true need, of course we would want to help them. Not talking about the truly needy.
...... All of the young unwed moms today get the wick program in our state......free cheese, milk, etc.,etc., etc. It's all delivered to their front doors.........even if the grandparents are ultra rich. Years ago, the families might have helped them......now everyone is dependent on government.

Sorry, but some of the "facts" presented sound pretty judgmental to me.

[senior citizen]

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[perrjojo]

As my Grandson says TMI. :-)

[Halibut]

It was an entirely different mindset in those years. We were all fed without the help of government.

My single mother was on welfare (and later, food stamps), starting in the mid 50s, so that's all I knew as a kid. She didn't much cook from scratch, either.

[Patty55]

I guess that next we'll be reading about the Urban Legend of the food stamp mom with the cart filled with shrimp. I've never seen her, mostly I see people with a lot of ramen noodles and hopelessness in their eyes.

Believe me when I say that my Grandmother wasn't running a gastropub with her cooking, it was more of the "get 'er done" school of cooking than CIA.

When I suggested teaching to cook, I meant the basics. WIC provides basics, teach how to doctor up the basics, teach how to stretch, how to turn leftovers into a meal.

I always try to donate pet food to the food banks. I think that sometimes when you're at a low spot in life your animals keep you sane.

Another charity I have donated to in the past was Dress For Success, don't know if they have a local branch but this would be right up TV's alley. I'm sure a lot of people here have a business wardrobe that they will never again need. Donate it so that someone will have a nice outfit to wear on interviews.

I'm happy that I don't have cheese and milk delivered.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by perrjojo

As my Grandson says TMI. :-)

I agree. I prefer to hear short stories of posters' pasts. Funny ones--and no soap boxes and no bragging, please!

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by Patty55

I guess that next we'll be reading about the Urban Legend of the food stamp mom with the cart filled with shrimp. I've never seen her, mostly I see people with a lot of ramen noodles and hopelessness in their eyes.

Believe me when I say that my Grandmother wasn't running a gastropub with her cooking, it was more of the "get 'er done" school of cooking than CIA.

When I suggested teaching to cook, I meant the basics. WIC provides basics, teach how to doctor up the basics, teach how to stretch, how to turn leftovers into a meal.

I always try to donate pet food to the food banks. I think that sometimes when you're at a low spot in life your animals keep you sane.

Another charity I have donated to in the past was Dress For Success, don't know if they have a local branch but this would be right up TV's alley. I'm sure a lot of people here have a business wardrobe that they will never again need. Donate it so that someone will have a nice outfit to wear on interviews.

I'm happy that I don't have cheese and milk delivered.

Thanks. You've given me an idea. I will find out where the nearest Dress for Success is located. If nothing else, the clothing could be mailed to them.

[ROCKETMAN]

on one of the new executive courses there is a $750,000 house and not 50 feet away a couple houses not worth $20,000 with roofs covered with blue tarps. There are usually children playing in the backyard so i know someone liver there. Poverty is very close to the villages.