Food Pantries: Long Lines, Short Supplies

CBS Evening News: Just Days Before Thanksgiving, More Families Dependent On Food Banks

(CBS)  Maria Chavez used to make $10 an hour cleaning houses, but now her customers can't afford the luxury of hiring her help. She needs work - any work, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.

She has two kids to feed, and doesn't want government help.

So the local food pantry is now her family's lifeline. Today was a good day - they put meat in her bag.

"There it is, now you can see it, this is the meat," she said. "Some people get so happy when they see a sign of meat."

And as the economy worsens, lines at many food pantries across the nation are fully stocked, while the cupboards are increasingly bare. Ten-thousand people showed up for an annual Thanksgiving food giveaway in Los Angeles Tuesday.

In Dallas, the number of food shelf visits is up 25 percent. It's up 33 percent in Chicago and 41 percent in Los Angeles, according to Feeding America and the Los Angeles Food Bank.

"People are really hungry and we just don't have enough food," said Beth Greenburg, a food pantry volunteer.

So they're giving out less, and some places are turning people away.

At one food bank in Los Angeles they are working 18 hour days and shipping 1 million pounds of food out to food pantries every week, but it's still not enough to meet the growing need.

"We see this as a crisis situation we don't see going away in the near future," said Michael Flood, the CEO of the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

That's because there is a new class of people living life on the line.

"It's the middle class who say to me 'I never thought I would be in this line,' and here they are," Greenburg said. "We all could be in this line."

Pamela Scott used to own a business. Now she can't get anyone to hire her.

"We're the real deal it's really happening to us. It's a reality right now," she said.

Maggie Shelley lost her husband to cancer, and at age 50 she can't find enough work to pay the bills.

"You don't look like you need to be here," Tracy said to her in the food line.

"That's exactly why I wanted to talk on camera because this is how far the economy has gone. It's affecting people like me," she said.

Thirty-six million Americans - that's one in eight - now live on the brink of hunger, at times unsure where they will get their next meal, according to Feed America.

"I used to watch movies about stuff like this and now I am that movie," Shelley said. "It's tough."

"It's hard to explain to our kids," Chavez said.

And as she began to cry, another woman in the line said: "That's right honey. You're absolutely right. I'm going through the same thing."

They're looking to better times, yet still waiting for them to arrive.

[gudogvenst]

There is enough welfare services and charitable organizations that assure that nobody gets hungry..it becomes of a matter of ''if you want it, just get it'' as a matter of fact..some organizations EVEN DRIVE IT TO YOU AND FEED YOU..

it is time to reasses things..meaning we not longer cannot afford to eat $20 t bone steaks but we can still eat very spartan and cheap items such as canned chicken and tuna

[gudogvenst]

Posted by LMC1975 at 06:25 PM : Nov 26, 2008
+ report abuse


********

sorry if we dont ''feel'' too compasionate about this..

maybe they have too much compassion..that is perhaps why they say they are starving but at the same time have a wieght problem..

SORRY I DONT BUY IT.

these people are not starving..they are just not use to NOT EATING A LOT

[lmc1975-2009]

I am astonished at how little compassion and empathy I am seeing. Maybe it is because a lot of people don''t see poor people on a daily basis? Or they assume they don''t? I don''t think it matters why people don''t have food -- whether it is because of misfortune or bad planning. I will admit that I didn''t think about hunger nearly as much until I moved into a major city. I''m fortunate -- I have a roof over my head, in a nice area. But every day on my way to and from my home, I pass through areas where I know people are hurting, and it is hard to see on a daily basis. A good number of the people served by food banks are elderly and children -- people who cannot work and for whatever reason need help. It''s great if you are fortunate to have family or friends who can help you through tough times, but I sure hope that people who don''t aren''t suffering. I''m not a religious person. I think this is a matter of basic decency.

[gudogvenst]

I am so sure a lot of african and south american people would LOVE to have what these people "DONT HAVE ENOUGH OF"

[anifylibby]

if these people WANT TO SEE PEOPLE STARVING TO DEATH...

go to africa till then be happy that they are still eating..JUST NOT LIKE PIGS like before

[anifylibby]

Perhaps the day will come when anifylibby and the like will experience the unexpected RIF that these middle class citizens who are used to working for their three squares now endure. At that time, anifylibby and the like will just have to find sustenance in whatever nourishment can be had by eating their own words.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by menmotoscutr at 01:18 PM : Nov 26, 2008
+ report abuse


********

that would happen right after you cant fin d''obese'' poor people anymore..

till then it is safe to say that these people are scared NOT of STARVING TO DEATH but NOT EATING EXCESSIVELY

[clancy49]

There will be a change in America. It will not be with a President or a Congress. It will have to be a change within the core of humanity in this country. We need to shed anger, hatred, and greed. We must work with our community and our environment. When we change into this mind set and start to ignore media control and the mass mind we will work together once again. Only community can save all the innocents of this greed, anger, and hatred. We do care and hear us shout, we are in this together and we will survive regardless of our government and corporate corruption. Community will bring us together and let the corporations die. We the people are the strength of this country and the world. It is time corporations learned they are nothing without us. Go to your neighbor and share what you have, food, clothing, shelter, and care. Community will build a new and better future for Democracy and Americans.

[leeanna58]

I wonder how many people in the lines have gone on lavish vacations, or who have spent money on alcohol, or cigarettes, or illegal drugs like cocaine or meth. I wonder how many have had a cushy car to drive. How many went up to Vegas to spend a weekend gambling?

Isn''t there a childhood story about a squirrel who stored his nuts for the winter and his neighbor didn''t? Next time we are in a state of prosperity, don''t forget to put away storage; you never know when it will come in handy.

Perhaps the day will come when anifylibby and the like will experience the unexpected RIF that these middle class citizens who are used to working for their three squares now endure. At that time, anifylibby and the like will just have to find sustenance in whatever nourishment can be had by eating their own words.

[anifylibby]

"execessive to enough" scares a lot of pampered people

[anifylibby]

No one in U.S.A. should not have food. With all the money we send to others. We should take care of the ones here first. Congress should have to live like these people do.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by Hitoyou1 at 10:03 AM : Nov 26, 2008
+ report abuse


*************

go to south central los angeles and try to find a ''ethiopian starving'' poor people... I bet all you would see are overwieight welfare cases..

[anifylibby]

Posted by Simplemind2 at 11:54 PM : Nov 25, 2008
+ report abuse

*********

int his country..people has TOO MUCH FOOD TO EAT..

now it goes to down to ENOUGH FOOD TO EAT..and they panic..

IF THESE PEOPLE WANT TO SEE ATROCITY..
they should let the liberal elitis gods like bono and geldof save them with a live9 concert..

[hitoyou1]

No one in U.S.A. should not have food. With all the money we send to others. We should take care of the ones here first. Congress should have to live like these people do.

[sasi1-2009]

I get angry every time I hear the name George Bush! He, without doubt, is the worst thing that ever happened to this country. It''s a shame he can''t be tried & sentenced for the crimes he''s committed. Wonder how many of those now standing in food lines voted for him?

I don''t see things getting any better under Obama, but they sure can''t get worse. We don''t seem to have really qualified people wanting to be president any more, and I can''t say I blame them!

[simplemind2]

I wonder how 3 Billions - i.e. 3,000,000,000.00 US tax-payers hard-earned dollars per week GWB authorized to spend in Iraq
to help rebuild that country could provide the food for our own hungry folks that desperately need to be fed here in the good US of A?

Oh - I forgot GWB''s national policy is to "Spread our wealth with the Arabs".

Tough love!

Hang in there - once Iraqis are well-fed, then maybe just maybe it will be our turn!

Thanks George - "Mission Accomplished"!

[likenoone-2009]

After obamanation is done there will be soup lines

[richnj1]

The top executives at any company receiving bailout money should be forced to live - they and their families - only on what they can get from food pantries and soup kitchens for 45 days. It won''t kill them, but maybe - just maybe - they''d get enough of a feel for what they''ve done to America.

[u-r-right]

And hobbling past the crowd in the opposite direction is a certain water fowl with a terrible limp. His name? Dubya Lame Duck, heading to meetings abroad and promising aid to other countries.