People have started food pantries around here and they are overflowing with donations! So many people stepping up to help.

It is nice to think that when the Government fails to protect those in need that caring people will try to fill the need.

Such a thoughtful and kind thing to do. 💗

My town has many restaurants giving free meals, and other businesses and organizations doing food drives and donations (in addition to our local food pantries and charities).

It’s wonderful that people are stepping up. But But…

I have a neighbor I’ve sparred with for years. She insists it is not the role of government to feed, educate, and give health care to citizens, as those things are the domain of charity. Why, she herself gives her family’s old clothes, goods, etc etc, to charity and will often donate a bag of flour or beans to help the poor.

I saw her on a walk yesterday and she is gloating about all the charity going on around us. ”Haven’t I been telling you for years that it’s not for government to do, but charity? Charity works!”

I’m so furious I’m speechless. She made me wonder if this isn’t exactly the plan to eliminate all funding permanently.

I never knew I had this much hate in me.

I had a doctors appt in a busy clinic last week and found a table added to the lobby with non perishable food on it. Sign said leave what you can, help yourself to what you need. I have a follow-up this coming week and may buy some things to add to it. I checked our county food bank website and there is no message there of anything they are low on or in need of right now. I know they can buy in bulk cheaper than we can donate food and money is the most appreciated gift they receive,

@morz8 - Washington Coast if I can make a suggestion for donations please check your safe houses for abuse victims. We have Project Horizon but there are many everywhere. They need everything particularly now. Stresses are very high with job loss compounding already limited means. 🙏

Sadly, all the generosity from good hearted people will never make up for the loss of benefits.

Our church has had enormous support for those in need in our area, which will be concentrated in benefiting the rural areas around us. Most churches are doing their part, I would assume.

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6515420/the-goodness-shines-through#n=67

We need both. It is silly to assume that a few cans of beans and an old coat compensate. I also don't believe that everyone should have to depend on the irregular and often misplaced charity of others. Anyone involved in these endeavors knows about all of the ill-considered items people donate.

We need both.

I agree. Both have value.

To me it is wonderful to see some of the local restaurants offering free meals. Those and personal donations of food and money can't replace the lost food stamps but it is heartwarming to see so much positive effort.

Yes, I agree I am very happy to see people step up!

Great video of explanation, Mtn.

Fantastic video.

Money is always more valuable than a few canned goods because food banks buy in bulk and are able to distribute what people truly need to feed themselves and their families, which is not mere cast away cans here and there.

Thank you for sharing that video, Mtn. I wish everyone could see it.

Our local food pantries and charities have requested specific foods and other items (toiletries, etc) for donation, in addition to any financial help anyone is able to give. Local grocery stores have sacks and boxes filled with food/other groceries shoppers can purchase to be donated.

Everything helps. Of course monetary donations can be preferable in many cases, or better yet, both, but some families wanting to help might not have the means to contribute much financially. If even four cans or a few boxes of food they can spare helps someone else, it’s better than nothing. When someone’s child hasn’t eaten since yesterday, that box of Kraft macaroni and cheese with a can of peas makes all the difference to them.

A not-affluent neighborhood in my town has a food donation stand (weather protected) on the corner of their street. I can see when I take things that it’s kept well-stocked and obviously being used. It’s not just cans and boxes, but fresh produce farmers donate, toiletries, and even books.

I agree that everything helps and that these showings of support are truly heartwarming! I also participate.

Also, this is woefully inadequate, inefficient and does not make a dent in the needs laid bare by the effective closure of an enormous government program. We can't lose sight of that.

Two things can be true at once.

Yes, they can. And I for one have not lost sight of the big picture. There’s always so much more I’d like to say about these topics, but we have too many happy flaggers here.

I have mentioned how recently, I am unable to post both here and on KT simultaneously so I end up posting a separate identical thread post in both places sometimes. It is often a much rowdier thread over there for several reasons, (and certainly is this time) but we are all people and I feel the subject is important enough to post in both places. I hope you don't mind MTN but your video was so good I grabbed it and posted it there.

Quote from Obama :

Democrats will have to demonstrate they recognize “we have differences, and yes, there are fights that are going to have to be fought, but that deep down, there is something core in us that we have in common that is extraordinary and that America at its best leans in to this notion of ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ that out of many can come one,” Obama said. “That’s the conversation that you need to have.

There’s always so much more I’d like to say about these topics, but we have too many happy flaggers here.

Go over and say it on KT, my thread there has people saying what they think. Some are thoughtful and realize how much pain the situation could produce, some are real doozies.

It certainly is useful to know where people stand on humanitarian issues. These type of discussions tend to reveal that.

Thanks for sharing, everybody.

And I got confused last night when I clicked on this thread, wondering where the scores of other comments went. For a moment, I was thinking mods came in and cleaned house 😏

It's funny, lucillle, but I can post a topic to both of these forums. Might it depend on which one you start at?

I apparently have two different accounts. I can't seem to combine them. And it doesn't matter which I start with, I cannot post to both forums simultaneously like I used to do.

Same for me Lucille. i am mystfied why some people can post to both simultaneously.

I used to be able to.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Houzz glitches are just beyond my energy at the moment, I just don't have what it takes right now to get into a bunch of technical computer stuff.