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Joanne98 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:16 AM
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Hunger mounts in the US

By Tom Eley
20 December 2008

As the economic crisis deepens, its human toll is becoming more evident. A new survey of food charities in the United States has revealed a dramatic increase in hunger. Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the US, says that a growing number of families face difficulties in securing adequate nutrition. Meanwhile food banks have proven ill-equipped to meet the increased demand caused by layoffs and increased food costs, and many have collapsed or have restricted the allotments of food they make.

In a nationwide survey of 160 local food assistance programs, with operations covering virtually every county in the US, Feeding America found that there has been a 30 percent increase in requests for emergency food assistance, and that every food bank has seen an increase in demand for food relief. An opinion poll commissioned by the organization and released simultaneously found that a growing number of low-income families lack sufficient nutrition.

In a chilling statement on social conditions in the US, 72 percent of surveyed food charities said that they are unable to meet the current demands of local communities for assistance. In most cases, the charities have responded by offering smaller distributions to the hungry, and some have been forced to close down.

This is taking place in every region of the country. To cite a few examples, the Food Bank of New York City reported that organizations under its direction "have regularly reported over the past year that their shelves are bare and that they have had to turn people away due to their lack of food." The Cleveland Foodbank reported that the crisis "is moving at a pace so fast that our staff cannot catch a breath." The Food Bank of Corpus Christi, Texas, said that "our agencies are seeing such a drastic increase in new clients that they are having a hard time getting the money to acquire the food we need," while "other agencies are burning out and we are seeing a number of agencies closing their doors." Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee reported that its agencies have asked that it not refer new clients "because they are running out of food."

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2008/dec2008/hung-d20.shtml
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acmavm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:21 AM
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1. Food banks need a bailout. Give them some of those billions.
Edited on Sun Dec-21-08 11:23 AM by acmavm
edit: The minute OBAMA gets into office, he is going to have to start programs to help stock food bank pantries. He's gonna have to declare a moratorium in foreclosures (since the bad debt has already been paid by the taxpayers).

The issue of how Obama deals with an increasingly hungry and homeless populace will set the tone of his administration.
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ixion Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:40 AM
Response to Reply #1
2. unfortunately, he'll have to start by rebuilding FEMA
which has been destroyed by "Homeland" :puke: Insecurity and BushCo.
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acmavm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:45 AM
Response to Reply #2
3. I don't think he'll bother. He's gonna make us ride out this misery and keep
handing money to the same people who are getting it now.

I canvassed and phone banked for the guy. So don't give me any shit about supporting him. But hell, he was very vocal about who he supported during the run-up to the handout to the 'Rich and Famous'.

Oh well.
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bemildred Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 11:48 AM
Response to Original message
4. A yes, the cornucopia of "free market" economics opens wide again.
:sarcasm:
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acmavm Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sun Dec-21-08 01:00 PM
Response to Reply #4
5. Even better yet, we can see the results of all that trickle down economics
Edited on Sun Dec-21-08 01:01 PM by acmavm
running down the walls of the poor house.
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