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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 03:36 PM
Original message
Study: Homeless shelters, food in demand
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HUNGER_HOMELESS?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT



Many homeless shelters and soup kitchens faced with more requests for emergency services are turning people away because they lack the beds, food and money to meet the demand, says a survey from an advocacy group for low-income Americans.

The report being released Tuesday by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness found a 28 percent rise last year in emergency food assistance requests, and a 27 percent increase in requests for emergency shelter.

Kathleen Barr, the report's author, said the Bush administration's 2006 budget proposal hurts many programs aimed at low-income Americans and could set back emergency assistance providers further.

Barr criticized President Bush for proposing to slash money for community development programs aimed at improving low- and moderate-income areas by about $2 billion, leaving $3.7 billion.

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Megahurtz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 03:57 PM
Response to Original message
1. This is getting really bad
We will see more and more people pushed out on the streets, living out of their cars and panhandling and whatever else they're going to need to do in order to stay alive.

Bush really sucks. I can't believe he keeps turning away and enjoying his lavish vacations and his multi-billionaire lifestyle while his own people are taking a nose-dive.;( What an unfeeling asshole.
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AngryOldDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:19 PM
Response to Reply #1
6. What's really sad and scary
...are all the mentally ill, who definitely DO NOT belong on the street. But there they are. And their numbers are growing daily.

And it's easy to be unfeeling when you have no conscience or sense of decency to begin with.
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Megahurtz Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:27 PM
Response to Reply #6
13. And also the disabled
(mentally ill is also mentally disabled) Can't work because of a mental or physical disability, getting older becoming a senior and what? By then no Social Security? That's really sad too. And their numbers will be growing as well.
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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 06:52 PM
Response to Reply #1
18. Remember Cheney's economic solution/comment: "E-bay"
and shrub's comment to that lady working 3 jobs?? He thought that was a GOOD thing..:wtf:

Can these people be ANY more clueless????? Next up will be why living out of your car or under a bridge is a GOOD thing!!

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ckramer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 10:22 PM
Response to Reply #1
23. His own people?
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xxqqqzme Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 03:58 PM
Response to Original message
2. ronnie's ghost revisits
the homeless crisis that grew under the last bunch of kompassionate kriminals!
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arikara Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:00 PM
Response to Original message
3. I hate to say this because they needed it too, but...
the outpouring of donations for the tsunami victims has really affected the domestic food bank donations, at least here in BC.
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prolesunited Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:00 PM
Response to Original message
4. Hey, I thought the churches
Edited on Tue Feb-15-05 04:01 PM by prolesunited
and all the Christians would meet the needs in the absence of big government intervention.

I guess these people, including the children, simply aren't worthy of God's blessings. Hey, that'll teach them. They should have been born to wealthier parents.
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AngryOldDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:17 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. They are in my city
Churches of all denominations are helping the city's one and only homeless shelter, by preparing meals (lunches and dinners), donating time, and opening their doors to many homeless families at night. Our situation has grown so tight spacewise at the shelter that we can no longer take in families. All the room goes to single men and women. (Not to mention the fact that the shelter is really no place for children to be.)

I would say that churches here do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to helping the homeless. I have seen it firsthand. And you might be interested to know that we were working with the county Democratic Party for use of its facilities as an overflow shelter, to house those who, for whatever reason, could not get into the main facility. But this year the Dems just could not be bothered with us.

Sorry, I know I probably shouldn't, but I take such flip comments as yours very, very personally. Some of us do take Christ's call to feed the hungry and clothe the naked very seriously, and when we hear/read such remarks it just makes the job a little harder.


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prolesunited Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:33 PM
Response to Reply #5
14. You shouldn't take it personally
because it obviously isn't directed at you.

Next time I'll put "Christians" in quotes because it is directed at the false ones who do not take Christ's call seriously, but I suspect you knew that. My comment was directed at Bush's faith-based initiatives. You can't strip away essential social services and expect churches to pick up the slack.

Government housing and food programs were created to fill a need. If the churches could meet those needs, they wouldn't have been created in the first place.

And, I really don't know how my comment should make your job harder, but I guess every cause needs their martyrs.
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AngryOldDem Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 06:07 PM
Response to Reply #14
15. Because I hear this shit a lot
<<And, I really don't know how my comment should make your job harder, but I guess every cause needs their martyrs.>>

And after awhile it gets old.
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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:33 PM
Response to Original message
7. Reuters version: War on Poverty Sees More Hungry, Homeless
Did the media ever tell us during the 04 election about the National Low Income Housing Coalition survey that found that in 2004 there was no place in the United States where a person earning as much as $9.17 an hour could afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, noting that 25% of U.S. workers earn $9.17 an hour or less - the official federal poverty level for a family of four if you are lucky enough to have the spouse working full time?



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&nci...

Study: War on Poverty Sees More Hungry, Homeless

Tue Feb 15,10:07 AM ET By Leslie Gevirtz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite a war on poverty that began more than four decades ago, the ranks of the hungry and homeless in the United States are increasing even as government funding declines, a study released on Tuesday found.

<snip>
The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness surveyed 900 providers of emergency food and shelter in 32 states and found that government cuts to social programs caused nearly one-fourth of the emergency food agencies to turn people away. More than three-quarters of shelters had no place for people to stay.


The Bush Administration proposes in its new budget to cut millions of dollars in funding to the three largest federal food programs: food stamps, school lunches and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in an October 2004 report, said that 36.3 million people lived in households without enough food in 2003. The Urban Institute, based in Washington, D.C., found in a 2000 survey that 3.5 million people in the United States were homeless.
<snip>

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Hand Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 04:40 PM
Response to Reply #7
8. WHAT War on Poverty?????????????
Ronnie Raygun surrendered decades ago, for cryin' out loud! Why the hell do these morans think this is happening???

:wtf:
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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 06:55 PM
Response to Reply #7
19. No, they were too busy reporting on Ashley Simpson's lip synching....
and telling us how well chimp's war-for-oil was going, remember?
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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:21 PM
Response to Original message
9. Study: War on Poverty Sees More Hungry, Homeless
Did the media ever tell us during the 04 election about the National Low Income Housing Coalition survey that found that in 2004 there was no place in the United States where a person earning as much as $9.17 an hour could afford a modest two-bedroom apartment, noting that 25% of U.S. workers earn $9.17 an hour or less - the official federal poverty level for a family of four if you are lucky enough to have the spouse working full time?



http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=578&ncid=578&e=8&u=/nm/20050215/ts_nm/economy_poverty_dc

Study: War on Poverty Sees More Hungry, Homeless

Tue Feb 15,10:07 AM ET By Leslie Gevirtz

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite a war on poverty that began more than four decades ago, the ranks of the hungry and homeless in the United States are increasing even as government funding declines, a study released on Tuesday found.

<snip>
The National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness surveyed 900 providers of emergency food and shelter in 32 states and found that government cuts to social programs caused nearly one-fourth of the emergency food agencies to turn people away. More than three-quarters of shelters had no place for people to stay.


The Bush Administration proposes in its new budget to cut millions of dollars in funding to the three largest federal food programs: food stamps, school lunches and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, better known as WIC.


The U.S. Department of Agriculture, in an October 2004 report, said that 36.3 million people lived in households without enough food in 2003. The Urban Institute, based in Washington, D.C., found in a 2000 survey that 3.5 million people in the United States were homeless.
<snip>



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papau Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:21 PM
Response to Reply #9
10. This is Reuter's version - an AP wire service version is at the link below
Edited on Tue Feb-15-05 04:34 PM by papau
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1240000

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/H/HUNGER_HOMELESS?SITE=TXSAE&SECTION=US&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Many homeless shelters and soup kitchens faced with more requests for emergency services are turning people away because they lack the beds, food and money to meet the demand, says a survey from an advocacy group for low-income Americans.

The report being released Tuesday by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger & Homelessness found a 28 percent rise last year in emergency food assistance requests, and a 27 percent increase in requests for emergency shelter.

Kathleen Barr, the report's author, said the Bush administration's 2006 budget proposal hurts many programs aimed at low-income Americans and could set back emergency assistance providers further.

Barr criticized President Bush for proposing to slash money for community development programs aimed at improving low- and moderate-income areas by about $2 billion, leaving $3.7 billion.
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Warpy Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:21 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. Those stupid asses should know that the "war on poverty"
was declared officially lost when Richard Nixon got elected.

You'd think from reading this article that even Reagan had magnanimously reached out to better the lives of the poor.

Four decades of war against poverty, my pasty white ass.

Other than creating more poor, none of the GOP financial mismanagement we've seen can be counted as continuing Johnson's mission of decreasing poverty in the country. They've all increased poverty and misery exponentially as they've shifted wealth to the rich.

Reuters is as bad as the rest of the media whores.
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central scrutinizer Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 05:21 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. yeah, we're not doing very well in our "wars"
let's see:

War on Poverty: Poverty is winning in a rout
War on Drugs: Drugs are winning going away
War on Terror: Ditto
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Malva Zebrina Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 06:18 PM
Response to Original message
16. very very soon we will see tax payer money going to churches
who feed the poor, and house the homeless.

I would suggest they consider the pitfalls in that before accepting government money.

I would suggest they lobby the government to supply the necessary food and shelters, instead of lobbying for tax payer money to do with that what they decide.

I for one, am loathe to contribute any money to any evangelical church, their missions, or any missions of any church whatsoever.

These churches should also be loathe to put themselves into that postion of dependance upon the state.

It is a fact that once on the welfare rolls, the government will rule over --and faith based money is welfare under the guise of charity. The state will have complete control over the functions of the church as they have shown to have complete control over the lives of welfare recipients in the past. Take a look at how those dependant;s lives are being regulated by the state.
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Erika Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 08:26 PM
Response to Reply #16
20. The Catholic Council is urging budgeting to include $
for the poor and needy according to US Newswire.

Maybe they should have thought about the poor and needy when they knifed Kerry in the back and discussed witholding communion from him.

In the news release they pleaded $ for food, housing, and medical care and warned that we are commanded to provide these for the needy.

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VegasWolf Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 06:20 PM
Response to Original message
17. Welcome to JesusLand!! Have money and life is wonderful.n/t
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rainbow4321 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 08:40 PM
Response to Reply #17
21. One of TX's richest counties: 2 cities seek aid for the homeless
From neon blinking red repukeville Collin County: "homeless, what homeless?"....


http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/stories/021505dnccomchomeless.113ed.html

Does Texas' most affluent county have a homeless problem? The answer may depend on what numbers are used. Officials from two Collin County cities said Monday that they hope to secure the county's first federal housing grant money dedicated exclusively to helping the homeless.

In 2003, local officials reported a homeless population of 1,238 countywide based on an annual survey of assistance organizations used to help secure federal funds.

"We have not had, to my knowledge, any great hue and cry about a tremendous homeless problem," Plano council member Ken Lambert said Monday. "We have problems with battered wives who have children with no place to go. That's exactly where our money goes into right now."

"They're all over the county. In Plano there were some people living in restrooms of the parks, under bridges, under bicycle bridges and in treed areas," Ms. Brown said. "People would set up a little shack there."

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Erika Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 10:03 PM
Response to Original message
22. GOP mantra: The poor are lazy or druggies.
That's what they say over and over. I wonder why Christ chose to care for them so and commanded we take care of them.

I guess the GOP know something Jesus didn't.
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Lindacooks Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Tue Feb-15-05 10:48 PM
Response to Original message
24. The only time poverty has ever been significantly reduced
is when the Federal Government started programs, whether Social Security, food stamps, or WIC. It's nice to think that private groups and churches can fix it, but they just can't. The problem is too large and too pervasive. Only government intervention works.
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