Documenting The Daily Struggle

By: Seth Doane
Topics: Field Notes

(CBS)

Seth Doane is a CBS News correspondent based in New York.

A few months ago my boss asked me to start traveling around the country to look at the "Other America," an America that we weren't always paying attention to. The series was born and now that four pieces have aired on the Evening News, I think it's starting to develop its own feel.

I see "Other America" as a look at hard-working Americans that are struggling to get by. As the economy gets tough for so many of us – with higher prices to pay at the pump and grocery store – our paychecks (for those of us lucky enough to have work) seem to be shrinking. What is so frightening is that there are so many stories out there to cover in this series.

For this week's "Other America," we headed to Dover, Tenn. My producer, Linda Karas, a long-time CBS-er, and Emily Rand (who's also been helping with these stories), heard that America's Second Harvest would be setting up a mobile pantry in this rural town in the middle of Tennessee.

We arrived to find a setting that looked like it could have been a church picnic. Tables were being set up in front of a church on a picture-perfect day – the sun was shining and the sky was blue. But this wasn't a celebration; it was the early preparation for hundreds of folks who'd be coming to this place to get food because they simply couldn't afford to go to the grocery store to buy it themselves.

Hundreds of families showed up to this mobile pantry. The organizer told us that she'd had a harder time getting the word out about this months' mobile pantry because so many people's phones had been disconnected. She hypothesized that it was because people were having their phone service disconnected as they're paying, instead, for gas and food.

A young mother cried in line as she told me how tough times have gotten. Another woman told me that it's humbling just to stand in this line. These stories make me count my blessings… and want to tell more of them. It's important to know that so many of our fellow Americans are struggling to make it through each day.

2 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment


by brendabear-2009 June 2, 2008 10:58 PM EDT: Dear Seth,
What''s happening to this world? I Like so many I lost a great paying job after 14 yrs, took a much lower paying job lost that because of the economy like the first and am left so strapped taking care of my husband who is disabled with Parkinson''s. I cried when I went to the food pantry last week for the first time yet so thankful someone cared. I always took care of my husband but daily I panic. When I go on job interviews the gas prices are so high it means I don''t eat but my husband has to with his disease so I let him think I ate. WHY can''t there be more help for people like us and the millions more.; Reply to this comment


by dogfur58 June 2, 2008 10:45 PM EDT: I HOPE THAT AMERICANS ARE FINALLY WAKING UP TO THE FACT THAT WE DO NOT HAVE TO SEND FOOD TO BURMA WHEN THEIR GOVT. WILL NOT LET THE FOOD GO TO THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT..AND WE WAIT FOR DAYS FOR PERMISSION TO GIVE IT. WE NOW NEED TO KEEP OUR FOOD AND USE IT IN OUR OWN COUNTRY WITH ALL THE HUNGRY PEOPLE WE HAVE AND NOT WORRY ABOUT THE WHOLE WORLD. LET''S START DOING SOMETHING AT HOME FIRST...THEN OTHERS OUTSIDE. THERE ARE PLENTY OF COUNTRIES WHO CAN HELP BESIDES US...LET THEM DO IT FOR A CHANGE.; Reply to this comment