My son just came back from helping people carry bags at the food pantry. Here are some numbers.

[rug]

98 families, ranging from 1 person to 2 adults, 5 children.

12 adults to help people pick out food.

11 teenagers to help carry bags.

2 hour line.

25 degrees F.

0 direct government aid.

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Give your son a hug

this is what it's come to

[CurtEastPoint]

8. And give yourself one, too. You raised him well. n/t

[valerief]

2. I would be shocked if it weren't for C-SPAN and could see the heartlessness of our Congress

firsthand.

[Donnachaidh]

3. Isn't it wonderful how the MSM is covering the suffering of citizens at this holiday season

I'm sick of the party tweets coming from some of these glorified newsreaders.

Of course the general public shouldn't know about this -- the riots would be happening if they knew.

[rug]

6. You know, this is likely taking place in every one of the country's 3,000 counties.

The only variable is the temperature.

This town has 1,100 people. The entire county has oniy 60,000 people. It has 4 food pantries.

[Donnachaidh]

9. we've had three food pantries close this year

Because the donations dried up, and the churches couldn't keep up. And this is a WEALTHY county in Georgia! This is the county Newt Gingrich used to work for!

Yet we have more and more homeless wandering the streets in the cold, more people begging on street corners. The few pantries still open have had to post fliers around town, begging for donations. One in particular has NEVER had to do this, in it's entire history.

And what does the nightly news offer about this? On *good* days nothing - and on the bad days they talk about how the county is trying to write laws to *drive the vagrants out*.

Vagrants? These are people who LIVE in this county! Drive to any Walmart parking lot late at night and see at least 3 or more cars parked, with people trying to sleep in the cold, and not get shooed out of their parking space.

It's truly sickening.

[formercia]

13. This is what the crazies have wanted.

No government aid. Everyone is on their own, unless a private individual offers to help or donate.

The rich have their nut.

[AC_Mem]

4. Thanks to your son

For helping the less fortunate.

The republicans are doing everything they can to ruin the less fortunate. Why - I do not know. Why would humans want other humans to suffer?

I cannot understand it. I guess they are just wired differently. It's so ... God-less.

:(
Annette - who will now add donating food to my Christmas list of things to do.

[midnight]

5. Awesome. Thanks for having a family that cares about others.

[madmax]

7. Hugs and props to your son

and all the people, especially the teens for their good work. It's good to know there are some young folks who care.

[lonestarnot]

10. Excellent job!

[Golden Raisin]

11. Good for your son.

Paraphrasing Dickens, I can just hear today's Republicans, "Are there no prisons? No workhouses?"

[spooky3]

12. You are a good parent.

I'd be very proud to have such a son.

[northoftheborder]

14. You earned stars in heaven.

Our church service center which helps with utilities, clothing, rent, etc.. has had a 700% increase in people calling for help this year.

[Lorien]

15. and if the government cared as much about it's citizens as it does about corporate

profits, it would have been a ten minute line. I applaud those who volunteer at food pantries, but too many within the government see those volunteers as the answer to hunger in America. Fact is, many who volunteer at the pantries are struggling themselves, and many who want to donate can't because of unemployment or medical debt. Unless the government takes some funds from our wars and corporate subsidies and spends more on food stamps, jobs programs and shelters, there's a real danger of two hour lines turning into four hour lines.

[Wednesdays]

16. K&R

:kick: