Snapshots Of Struggle In The Food Line

Economy Driving People Who Wouldn't Have Imagined They'd Be Struggling To Desperate Measures

(CBS)  Snapshots of suffering in a small, southern town reveal a daily struggle for survival.

"Are there days that you …" CBS News correspondent Seth Doane began asking.

"That we don't eat?" Liz Thomas said while standing in line at a food pantry. "Yeah."

"Why is it getting more difficult?" Doane asked.

"Gas prices. Milk is just as expensive as gas these days - it's just really hard," food recipient Stephanie Smith said, tearing up. "I'm sorry."

Most of these people never imagined they'd wind up waiting in a food line.

"I think the best thing that people can do is stand back and pray - pray for better times," recipient Cynthia Graybill said.

Pray - and pitch in. People come from all over the county - the ones who don't need help volunteer to help those who do.

One volunteer, Wanda Stinson, said: "When they hug you and say 'I have one can of corn in my cabinet for the rest of the month,' you go to bed that night saying, 'oh thank you, lord, I was able to help that family.'"

The mobile pantry, and the others they've had in Dover, Tenn., was made possible by Second Harvest, which loaded up about 10,000 lbs. of food 90 miles away in Nashville.

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Learn more about Second Harvest's effort to feed the hungry at its Web site.
Read more about this story and the series at Couric & Co.

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For the organizer, getting the word out proves to be its own challenge.

"There's probably been, like, 40 people who've had their phones disconnected since the last time," said organizer Linda Hagen. "I think they're giving up their phones for food and gas."

One local factory moved to Mexico - another just canceled a shift. And the number of families signing up for food has almost doubled since last October.

In line, Doane met a woman named Georgia Bumpus. She started cleaning houses when she couldn't find an office job, but now she's become a luxury.

She said: "People have said, 'well, can we afford to have a housekeeper? when we might, you know, need that money for gas or for groceries ourselves.'"

Stephanie Smith had to leave her minimum-wage job because her salary didn't cover the cost of her commute and child care.

"This is hard to have your kids watch their parents go through this," Smith said.

The lucky ones are on one side of the table, giving out the food. But they know there's not much separating them from the other side.

"The scary thing is, it could be you," said Kelli Garrett of Second Harvest of Middle Tennessee. "We find so much more that folks who said I never thought that this would be me, I never thought I'd need food are needing help."

"Did you ever think you'd be standing in a line like this?" Doane asked.

"No," said Bumpus. "And it's humbling. It's humbling."

Humbling or not, there won't be a line to stand in much longer.

The state money that funded the program runs out at the end of the month. And that hasn't been renewed.

[rleary1234]

I saw this CBS news feature about 15 minutes ago. o.k. I need to be careful for asking this but it really really puzzles me. All of the people standing in the foodlines were morbidly obese. That really bothers me for some reason. Not that you have to look starving but it just looked like a "what''s wrong with this picture" moment. I think one of the ladies said that people are giving up their cellphones and food for gas???? Nobody needs a cellphone. I don''t understand that either. I don''t have one, don''t need one, and I''m struggling to feed my family. I also watch my weight. Anyway, someone explain to me about everyone in the foodline being morbidly obese. It just doesn''t make sense to me.
thanks

[ramos937]

Sorry, folks but it is going to get worse. My predictions are (1) we will be paying over $7 per gallon by 9/01/2008, (2) While we will not be using wheelbarrows to log money around to buy bread, the dollar will be devalued a lot more. Some places in the world do not even accept dollars anymore. (3) we are spending over $15 billion monthly in Iraq with funds we have to borrow. Some day, we will wise up and start spending that money here. (4) the absolute worse thing will be when things get really tough and countries like Saudi Arabia, Dubai, etc. will offer us
foreign aid. When that happens, well off fat cats like Limbaugh, Hannity, Gibson, etc will ridicude these offers but the ordinary folks will not. Just think what it took to get us to that point.

We can work ourselves out of this mess but to do that, we will have to bite the bullet and make tremendous sacrifices. We are not at that point yet.

[cfin5]

Hmmm,....Think of all the carbon pollution it took to make those heifers that fat. This story''s about as intellectually honest as Global Warming.

[nkl66]

Wow lots of critics. Should not judge until you walk a mile in somebody%u2019s shoes
Hope you never need help and never say never... it could happen to you.

[rudy2281]

There are also people in line who probably have more than enough food at home but like picking up freebies but you don''t make judgments about people who say they are in need-you help them. If they aren''t in need-everything that goes around comes around.

The smug and haughty types will more than likely join the humble and downtrodden before things are over and I suspect the latter group will conduct themselves nobly while the former will whine and snivel.

[cantshutup]

Posted by rleary1234
I saw this CBS news feature about 15 minutes ago. o.k. I need to be careful for asking this but it really really puzzles me. All of the people standing in the foodlines were morbidly obese. That really bothers me for some reason. Not that you have to look starving but it just looked like a "what''''s wrong with this picture" moment.

There was a summer some years back where I literally had only $20 to spend on food each week. When you have to live on the cheapest food, it is generally not very healthy food and tends to be high in fat, calories and preservatives...Causing poor health, weight gain...People who are poor are not having great fresh spinach salads everyday, they''re eating cheap filler...i''ll bet they eat tons of mac n'' cheese...

maybe those people in line could start a community garden and supplement their diets that way...when you grow a garden it improves your health in many, many ways.

[trenticus-2009]

I feel the crunch as do many other Americans... BUT, since I can do for myself and my family, I have started my own vegetable garden to suppliment the cost of groceries. Now if I could only be allowed to tie up a dairy cow in my back yard I think I would be set. How do you convert cow dung to fuels for the car? I guess I could buy a horse and start ridin it work and then tie it up at different location throughout my yard so I don''t have to cut the grass anymore. Man the ideas are just rushing in!!!

[nkl66]

rudy2281 love your post. You are probably right some don''t need it, but like you said you help anyway. The Karma police are watching.

trenticus, love your ideas! Don%u2019t forget to plant some grains for the horse and cow eat %uF04A

[michellem99-2009]

I feel their pain, I walk in the poor''s shoes. I can say yer humbled and it can happen to ye and yers. Oh yeah. I am not fat. I think it best ye learn. I eat so little that my friend is scared he may find me dead. I eat one small tv dinner a day. I was told this is the greatest nation. HAHA. MORE LIKE A 3RD WORLD NATION.

[fireceos]

I saw a man recently ride a horse and tie it up at a gas station. I wish I had my camera.

[fireceos]

I clip coupons and put the savings towards college and/or vacation. No vacation this year. Since we are currently fortunate, I plan to donate the savings to my local food bank.

[incog-nito]

What are these folks worried about? President Bush has said the economy is doing fine, so it must be true.

[spaspy]

Hey sunybirds, maybe you should cancel your internet service and buy yourself some healthy food instead?

[lewiston14]

Jail is going to become the mext mega hotels. 3 meals dry but a little boring but people have all allready done it.

[caldwellptr]

As Marie said, "Let them eat cake"

[johnpatrick9]

This time lets put a Democrat in and this time lets wake up to the fact that the Republicans are the party of the RICH AND I''VE GOT MINE AND TO HELL WITH YOU. At least the Democratic Party addresses the needs of the Common Man and does not give tax breaks to the super rich as President STUPID did. Vote for your pocketbook and not for an Empire of the Rich built on oil and military might...what a disaster these past 8 years have been for our Republic as these rich yahoos have raped our land and killed our best sons and daughters....and now the bread line...shades of the the Thirties and another dimwit Republican President.

[timaran]

I saw this CBS news feature about 15 minutes ago. o.k. I need to be careful for asking this but it really really puzzles me. All of the people standing in the foodlines were morbidly obese. That really bothers me for some reason. Not that you have to look starving but it just looked like a "what''''s wrong with this picture" moment. I think one of the ladies said that people are giving up their cellphones and food for gas???? Nobody needs a cellphone. I don''''t understand that either. I don''''t have one, don''''t need one, and I''''m struggling to feed my family. I also watch my weight. Anyway, someone explain to me about everyone in the foodline being morbidly obese. It just doesn''''t make sense to me.
thanks

===============

Not making excuses for anyone, but here''s my take on your question. Malnutrition is just a fancy word for BAD nutrition; it doesn''t necessarily mean "no food." Eating foods that are high fat/high calorie, but lower in nutritional value (which tend to be cheaper) is just as bad for you as not eating enough food. Cheap cuts of meat have a lot of fat and gristle and may cost half of what a leaner, healthier cut of meat does. Likewise, the cheapest packaged foods are those that have the lowest nutritional value. These are the items that low income people tend to purchase, which is one reason why so many "poor" people seem to be very overweight. They are not "starving," per se, but they are very malnouished.

Just my $0.02.

[greeneyes222]

"The state money that funded the program runs out at the end of the month. And that hasn''t been renewed."

Yeah, and Tennessee has a Democrat governor and legislature. Plenty of blame to go around - on both sides.

Second Harvest, by the way, is an outstanding program. God bless these people.

[johnpatrick9]

At times the reasons for obesity are the result of not being able to buy a sufficient quantity of healthy food to feed a family..and/or the result of depression due to the economic situtation one is in. Eating sweets and fats are a substitute for an analyst, a good job, love a reaction to the many threats we live under in this once proud land now humbled by President stupid.

[lfitts1]

What people don''t understand is that if you work at minimum wage you need to carry 2 or 3 jobs just to pay for the basics..much less internet/cell phone..that does not leave much time for tending a garden...not only that..healthy food is expensive, cheap food is fattening and cheap--therefore--with less money you are more likely to eat badly, be overweight but still not ''well fed'' from a nutrition standpoint. It is all well and good for me to have the luxury to say that--I don''t have a minimum wage job etc--those that do, do not have the time or energy or access to post here--let''s show a bit of compassion for others shall we ???

[mollydtt]

Unfortunately, the "haves" never seem to understand what it is like to be a "have not". I''ve seen lots of articles about how people can save big bucks by making a few changed in their lives. Funny. I''ve never done the things that I can cut out to save money. Some of us don''t eat out, don''t take vacations, don''t buy new clothes, or stop by Starbucks on the way home already. I do have a vegetable garden every summer, but have you seen the price of city water these days? It costs alot to keep your garden alive in this miserable heat. All in all, there are no quick fixes, but I do think that illegal aliens help to drive down the bargaining power of Americans to make a living wage in the first place. Denial is everything.

[lochlan-2009]

Hopefully these people will be thinking about the state of this country before and after Bush when it comes to the November elections.

[lochlan-2009]

BECAUSE your true agenda is nothingn mroe than simply whinning, complaining and bit ching..ABOUT EVERYTHING..

Posted by libsluv2spit

That''s right, my whole agenda is nothingn more than simply whinning, complaining and bit ching..ABOUT EVERYTHING.. that is wrong, unfair, and unethical about this country and the people in charge of it.

[vsnakeman]

I saw this last night and it struck me how OBESE the ones -getting- the food were compared to those who were handing out the food. I thought that was where the real story was but unfortunately it was probably too taboo to ask one of the obese people in line if they thought maybe there was a correlation.

[vsnakeman]

I saw this last night and it struck me how OBESE the ones -getting- the food were compared to those who were handing out the food. I thought that was where the real story was but unfortunately it is too taboo to ask one of the obese people in line if they thought maybe there was a correlation.

In any case, more work(outs), less handouts seems like a good thing all the way around.

[vsnakeman]

I saw this last night and it struck me how OBESE the ones -getting- the food were compared to those who were handing out the food. I thought that was where the real story was but unfortunately it is too taboo to ask one of the obese people in line if they thought maybe there was a correlation.

In any case, more work(outs), less handouts seems like a good thing all the way around.

[grammawhamma]

To those of you saying the poor can''t afford healthy food....a one pound bag of frozen vegetables costs $1.00 or less depending on where you shop. That seems healthy yet fairly cheap to me.

[dobbershome]

Give them the food Myanmar didn''t recieve.Oh,I forgot were not a third world country.(yet)

[dobbershome]

Can you imagine what some other countrys are thinking when they see the caption on this article then see the picture. They probably wonder what the problem is.

[dobbershome]

This country is full of overweight slobs.

[pastorjanes]

First of all, it isn''t anybody''s business how much these people weigh. These people are not standing in line because they ate too much and need more. They are standing in line because the factories are closing and other businesses are closing, and gas and milk both cost $4 a gallon. I don''t care how much you weigh, it is not healthy to go without food. I pray that those of you who are fixated on the weight issue never find yourself in need because you will be judged just as much as you are judging right now.

To rleary1234: read the article. It doesn''t say anything about people giving up cell phones is just says phones. Many of these people have to shut off their home phones to buy food.

[liberalme]

Of course it hasn''t occured to anyone, these people might have children to feed.

[timdgrim]

libsluv2spit
*******************************
This guy is a F**king Idiot!
Oh, I''m sorry, it was a Richard Cheney slip.....

[mreadle]

Reading these comments makes me embarrassed to be an America! I CAN"T believe there is a 2 hr line for food and all the comments revolve around the weight of the people. Has anyone considered these people are probably VERY depressed and all the food donated is LOADED with carbs and fat? When was the last time you''ve seen chicken or veggies in a food bank? They can''t afford food or gas, I bet they can''t afford steak either! I''m sure they can''t afford to move to a new place where the economy might be a little better. You can all sit there and do nothing but make superficial comments and watch American Idol and donate your money to help other countries while ours is in DIRE need of help! Let the people here suffer and starve, but make sure to cut your check for the kids in Africa. Be AMERICANS - HELP YOUR OWN COUNTRY, YOUR OWN PEOPLE, YOUR OWN ECONOMY!!! or sit back and judge and wonder why you''re in a line waiting for food in the future. I''m sure someone will write nasty comments about you then.

[michellem99-2009]

low cost food is just that junk. And no the food banks give far worse. It is nice idea to plant a ganden if ye can see to do so. I am for our money staying in America but the govt will send it over seas.

[patriot12436]

This is to all the idiots worried about the peoples weight. They are losing their jobs and homes because we are in a recession. Their weight has nothing to do with this. If they could afford to move where would they go ? This problem is nation wide. I am living in Thailand and they are having the same problem. The average wage is $3 to $11 a day. They elected a new Prime Minister and food prices doubled over night, now they are protesting to remove him. Alot of Thai people are having trouble making a living and thigs keep getting worse. I am lucky i have an excellent retirement with a medical plan that pays everything for me and only have a $30 copay for the wife.I will return to the states in September. I am thinking of looking for a place like this where i can volunteer to help people who ned a hand up.

[patriot12436]

Also as far as the weight goes, i am diabetic, when i started insulin i started gaining weight, i tried every diet on the market nothing worked. I went to my doctor he told me that it was a side effect of the insulin and ther was nothing i could do. I joined a gym, hired a trainer and went 4 hours a day seven days a week, watched and kept a log of everything i ate. After two months i had not lost one pound. Went back to my doctor and he reccommended lipo and tummy tuck to get rid of extra weight. I just heard of a procedure where they go down your throat and swe your stomach in half. I think this might also be an option. I still exercize every day but cannot lose the stomach weight. So people who are over weight cannot always help it. Medical conditions cause problems.

[patriot12436]

Where is the compassion we as Americans are known to have. I agree it is time we stopped trying to be the world police and telling veryone else how they should live. We need to stop foreign aid because we can''t afford it anymore. It is time we addressed the problems we have here at home and start taking care of our own people. We need to pull out of Iraq and start spending that money on our own country.

[patriot12436]

i buy candy and pass it out to the neighborhood children. Some of their parents are so poor the children would ever get candy otherwise. This has enabled me to meet all my neighbors here. They may be poor but they are wonderful people. In this coutryif you do not work you do not eat. There are no social programs to help the people here. I take cobra''s when i find them and give them to the red cross so they can use for antivenom. The snakes lead a good life and help people that are bitten. I love interacting with animals and this has been a wonderful experience living here. I am going to miss the country, the people, and the culture when i have toi return to the states. I am already looking forward to when i can come back.

[patriot12436]

I also feed the stray cats and dogs when they come around and are hungry. They have a hard life as they sleep in the day time because the cobra''s come out at night and they have to stay alert to keep from being bitten. When an economy suffers the animals suffer as well. Being a retired soldier has taught me to have compassion for people and animals.

[ljrader]

Why do so many people assume that the cause of being obese is overeating? Many people do not have the means to buy fresh fruit and vegetable or to have the money for diet clubs and special diet food. Going on and staying on a diet involves menu planning. Most of the hungry people cannot be so selective.

[rleary1234]

ljrader states: Why do so many people assume that the cause of being obese is overeating? Many people do not have the means to buy fresh fruit and vegetable or to have the money for diet clubs and special diet food. Going on and staying on a diet involves menu planning. Most of the hungry people cannot be so selective.

I beg to differ but staying under-weight doesn''t require special foods, vegetables, or diet foods. It requires self esteem and especially education. So many Americans are fat now and told that "It''s o.k. we''re all the same.." blah blah blah. It''s o.k. to be morbidly obese but it sure isn''t healthy. Most of the 1,200 people I work with starting around age 17 are obese and huge. They spend most of their time talking/texting on their cellphones and only take a break to go online and look at themselves on "myspace". I don''t believe that one of them could tell you anything about History, Geography, or even what happened in the world a week ago. I pray that there are enough smart future Americans that can help our great nation flourish... And be thin and fit! Anyone out there that takes offense to this is probably obese. Yes, it could be a "gland problem" but if it''s your "saliva gland" I''m not responsible for your weight problem. And please don''t wear all of the new tight fashions.