Say It Ain't So Already

Those Lazy, Greedy Slobs at the Food Bank?

September 9, 2011 at 4:25 PM Leave a comment

I just got back from my volunteer time at the food bank and I have to tell you about something I see literally every time I go there.

You know how the wingers like to paint food bank customers as lazy slobs who just want to coast on society’s handouts and grab as much free stuff as they can?  One trait, if you will, that I see in almost every person I guide through the bank is a sense of empathy and concern for their fellow food bank patrons.

Today I took a man through who was entitled to a certain amount of food based on the size of his family — two people.  For example, a family of two can select two “canned meals,” meaning canned goods such as canned spaghetti, ravioli or chili.  They can take two cans of tuna, one small jar of peanut butter, two cans of beans and they are entitled to two bags of dried beans.

The man I helped — again, this is not unusual — said he only “needed” one canned meal; he declined the tuna; he said he still had some peanut butter; he took only one bag of dried beans, and one can of beans.  In other words, he really did take only what he needed. He didn’t take roughly half of what he was entitled to.  He didn’t come in thinking he was going to get as much free stuff as he could.  He thought about those coming after him and those who might need those items more than he, and I think that’s so wonderful.

Being poor doesn’t mean being a bad person.

Entry filed under: At the Food Bank. Tags: .