> Hunger and homelessness rise in U.S.
> Hunger and homelessness rise in U.S.
Hi Member's,
I hope that you or your family are not one of the below
There are so many in our country now that are homeless & hungry
...It should not `be in the USA 4-Sure, but it is...
I'm posting as a reminder to `be thankful if you have a home & food & also make a plead to help others in need `if you can
If you have the time, please read the below. It's a difficult time for so many...I know that there are some that take advantage of the system, but there are still many that need help & are willing to work `if someone will hire them...
Please Help `if you can `OK...Thank YOU!!!
Hunger and homelessness rise in U.S. cities: report
<CITE class="byline vcard">By Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert and Lucia Mutikani | Reuters – <ABBR title=2012-12-20T18:27:12Z>2 hrs ago</ABBR></CITE>
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Across the United States, the number of hungry and homeless people is growing, and budget fights at the federal level are threatening the aid many need to survive, the U.S. Conference of Mayors said on Thursday.
Amidst the holiday season of family feasts and corporate dinners, the mayors released a report that found requests for emergency food assistance rose in 21 out of the 25 cities it surveyed in 2012 and remained at the same level in three. More than half the cities said homelessness increased.
"This report is a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact the recession has had on many of our citizens," Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, said in a statement. "Families, who once lived in middle class homes, now find themselves without a roof over their heads, needing multiple social services for the first time in their lives."
The 25 cities are of varying size and wealth in all regions of the country. They included Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Nashville, Tennessee.
Among those seeking emergency food, 51 percent were in families and 37 percent were employed. Nearly 1 in 6 - 17 percent - were elderly and 8.5 percent were homeless, according to the survey.
Nearly all of the cities reported a rise in the number of people seeking emergency food for the first time.
"In Philadelphia, I see people who are hungry and in need of shelter on a daily basis and explaining to them that Congress is cutting funding for the help they need is not acceptable," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in a statement.
The impending "fiscal cliff" has people with lower and middle incomes worried government funds for safety net programs will drop just as emergency unemployment benefits end. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are negotiating on how to avert tax increases and spending cuts due to take effect at the beginning of 2013.
Republicans in the House of Representatives are pressing to cut $16 billion from food stamps as they hammer out an overdue farm bill.
The 2007-2009 recession pushed up poverty and unemployment, while enrollment for food stamps, which help cover grocery costs, soared. As economic recovery takes hold, the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.7 percent from a peak of 10 percent. Still, the country's poverty rate remains at 15 percent and a record 47.7 million people use food stamps.
Meeting the demand has been hard, and many places had to portion out aid in 2012, the survey found.
In 95 percent of the cities surveyed, food pantries cut the amount of food each person received and soup kitchens reduced meal sizes. In almost all the cities, pantries capped people's monthly visits as well. More than half the cities said homeless families with children were denied shelter in 2012.
The hunger problem is likely to get worse next year. Three-fourths of the cities expect the need for food to rise. No city expects a decrease.
Sixty percent of the cities surveyed expect an increase in the number of families without shelter and 56 percent anticipate a rise in homeless individuals. More than half the cities say there will not be enough shelters available.
LIKE ADDING WATER TO A FLOOD
The survey confirms what many soup kitchens, pantries and other charities have been saying throughout 2012.
"We are always at capacity. If you are in a flood and someone says more water is coming you might not be able to tell because you are already in a flood," said George Jones, chief executive officer of Bread for the City in Washington, this fall about a rise in the number of people seeking help.
In the survey, Washington said the Capital Area Food Bank, an umbrella organization for assistance groups in Washington, is reaching two-thirds of those at risk of hunger.
Officials at the food bank said calls to its hotline jumped 25 percent last year and it also opened a new warehouse in June to double its capacity and keep up with rising hunger. For the first time they are coordinating help at a military base, sending a truck to serve about 250 families at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
Michael Blue, a 62-year-old part-time bus driver in Washington, gets help from Bread for the City. He says work is so sporadic that he has to scrounge for cash to pay rent and utilities. But his $13,300 annual income tops the government's poverty threshold, disqualifying him from some welfare programs. He receives about $200 a month in food stamps.
"They tell me that I don't qualify for help, but anybody who makes $13,000 or even $20,000 a year these days cannot survive," Blue said.
Between jobs he jots down telephone numbers from tour buses headed to Washington's monuments, then calls to see if they need drivers. He cannot recall the last time he had a full-time job.
"I am just being priced out of existence," he said.
It’s very sad that we live in the richest country in the world, yet there are so many people that are starving and homeless right here in our own back yard! Homeless camps are slowly springing up all over the United States.
Whats interesting is that the average American family is only 2 weeks, or one paycheck away from joining the homeless! (Serious).
I couldn't imagine being homeless with a family.Anyhow, I just thought I’d make everyone aware of this. If you have some extra food, cash, and extra toy or two, please help where you can! Huggs to `all !
==========================
* Post your thoughts on this subject
** If you have a solution ? >Please send it to your representatives/leaders in your communities city/state/federal
*** Help those in your family/relatives/neighborhood etc
Wish everyone a warm home & food to enjoy your holidays.. Share `if you care, share `if you can ?
Peace/Happiness 2 `all
I hope that you or your family are not one of the below
There are so many in our country now that are homeless & hungry
...It should not `be in the USA 4-Sure, but it is...I'm posting as a reminder to `be thankful if you have a home & food & also make a plead to help others in need `if you can
If you have the time, please read the below. It's a difficult time for so many...I know that there are some that take advantage of the system, but there are still many that need help & are willing to work `if someone will hire them...
Please Help `if you can `OK...Thank YOU!!!
Hunger and homelessness rise in U.S. cities: report
<CITE class="byline vcard">By Susan Heavey and Lisa Lambert and Lucia Mutikani | Reuters – <ABBR title=2012-12-20T18:27:12Z>2 hrs ago</ABBR></CITE>
Enlarge PhotoReuters/Reuters - Workers fill carts with food for the poor at the Foothill Unity Center food bank in Monrovia, California, November 14, 2012. REUTERS/David McNew
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Across the United States, the number of hungry and homeless people is growing, and budget fights at the federal level are threatening the aid many need to survive, the U.S. Conference of Mayors said on Thursday.
Amidst the holiday season of family feasts and corporate dinners, the mayors released a report that found requests for emergency food assistance rose in 21 out of the 25 cities it surveyed in 2012 and remained at the same level in three. More than half the cities said homelessness increased.
"This report is a stark reminder of the long-lasting impact the recession has had on many of our citizens," Greg Fischer, mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, said in a statement. "Families, who once lived in middle class homes, now find themselves without a roof over their heads, needing multiple social services for the first time in their lives."
The 25 cities are of varying size and wealth in all regions of the country. They included Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City and Nashville, Tennessee.
Among those seeking emergency food, 51 percent were in families and 37 percent were employed. Nearly 1 in 6 - 17 percent - were elderly and 8.5 percent were homeless, according to the survey.
Nearly all of the cities reported a rise in the number of people seeking emergency food for the first time.
"In Philadelphia, I see people who are hungry and in need of shelter on a daily basis and explaining to them that Congress is cutting funding for the help they need is not acceptable," said Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter in a statement.
The impending "fiscal cliff" has people with lower and middle incomes worried government funds for safety net programs will drop just as emergency unemployment benefits end. President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress are negotiating on how to avert tax increases and spending cuts due to take effect at the beginning of 2013.
Republicans in the House of Representatives are pressing to cut $16 billion from food stamps as they hammer out an overdue farm bill.
The 2007-2009 recession pushed up poverty and unemployment, while enrollment for food stamps, which help cover grocery costs, soared. As economic recovery takes hold, the unemployment rate has fallen to 7.7 percent from a peak of 10 percent. Still, the country's poverty rate remains at 15 percent and a record 47.7 million people use food stamps.
Meeting the demand has been hard, and many places had to portion out aid in 2012, the survey found.
In 95 percent of the cities surveyed, food pantries cut the amount of food each person received and soup kitchens reduced meal sizes. In almost all the cities, pantries capped people's monthly visits as well. More than half the cities said homeless families with children were denied shelter in 2012.
The hunger problem is likely to get worse next year. Three-fourths of the cities expect the need for food to rise. No city expects a decrease.
Sixty percent of the cities surveyed expect an increase in the number of families without shelter and 56 percent anticipate a rise in homeless individuals. More than half the cities say there will not be enough shelters available.
LIKE ADDING WATER TO A FLOOD
The survey confirms what many soup kitchens, pantries and other charities have been saying throughout 2012.
"We are always at capacity. If you are in a flood and someone says more water is coming you might not be able to tell because you are already in a flood," said George Jones, chief executive officer of Bread for the City in Washington, this fall about a rise in the number of people seeking help.
In the survey, Washington said the Capital Area Food Bank, an umbrella organization for assistance groups in Washington, is reaching two-thirds of those at risk of hunger.
Officials at the food bank said calls to its hotline jumped 25 percent last year and it also opened a new warehouse in June to double its capacity and keep up with rising hunger. For the first time they are coordinating help at a military base, sending a truck to serve about 250 families at Fort Belvoir in Virginia.
Michael Blue, a 62-year-old part-time bus driver in Washington, gets help from Bread for the City. He says work is so sporadic that he has to scrounge for cash to pay rent and utilities. But his $13,300 annual income tops the government's poverty threshold, disqualifying him from some welfare programs. He receives about $200 a month in food stamps.
"They tell me that I don't qualify for help, but anybody who makes $13,000 or even $20,000 a year these days cannot survive," Blue said.
Between jobs he jots down telephone numbers from tour buses headed to Washington's monuments, then calls to see if they need drivers. He cannot recall the last time he had a full-time job.
"I am just being priced out of existence," he said.
It’s very sad that we live in the richest country in the world, yet there are so many people that are starving and homeless right here in our own back yard! Homeless camps are slowly springing up all over the United States.
Whats interesting is that the average American family is only 2 weeks, or one paycheck away from joining the homeless! (Serious).
I couldn't imagine being homeless with a family.
==========================
* Post your thoughts on this subject
** If you have a solution ? >Please send it to your representatives/leaders in your communities city/state/federal
*** Help those in your family/relatives/neighborhood etc
Wish everyone a warm home & food to enjoy your holidays.. Share `if you care, share `if you can ?
Peace/Happiness 2 `all
Last edited by Space; Dec 20, 2012 at 03:58 PM.
Man, I try to help people as much as I can, but I can't trust everyone out there that is playing the act. If I owned a buissness I would hire some of the people. Or if I was rich I would open a home, the thing is, moat of these people don't have the education that is needed. It is hard now, people got to work very hard, and those in power don't want to give yo what they have. Selfishness is the way of the world. People must be a lot more selfless.
Hi Marquet,
Thanks for your words/concerns & post...
My solution is for our government to open up all our closed military bases as a place for the homeless to live.
1. Have the homeless grow their own garden, and turn the bases into farms with livestock...Train those without to be self sufficent...Have other's rebuild the sites & learn skills so that they can leave & seek employment in the world.
2. Teach them to work & take care of themselves & each others...Have day care centers for the children..
It would be far less expensive then the programs that we have now...
In history I read about the WPA (Work Program) & other government programs for the poor that people had to work to get help...I believe we need then again in the USA...
It can be done, if we act...I believe the USA will have to say no to other countries & that we must first take care of our own country (home), before we go to others & help them or tell them how to live...We must lead by example & not by force...We first must take care of our own...
If, I only get one person who reads my words to help or to act to help another, then my investment of time has been worthwhile 4-Sure..
Peace/Love/Happiness 2 `all,
Thanks for your words/concerns & post...
My solution is for our government to open up all our closed military bases as a place for the homeless to live.
1. Have the homeless grow their own garden, and turn the bases into farms with livestock...Train those without to be self sufficent...Have other's rebuild the sites & learn skills so that they can leave & seek employment in the world.
2. Teach them to work & take care of themselves & each others...Have day care centers for the children..
It would be far less expensive then the programs that we have now...
In history I read about the WPA (Work Program) & other government programs for the poor that people had to work to get help...I believe we need then again in the USA...
It can be done, if we act...I believe the USA will have to say no to other countries & that we must first take care of our own country (home), before we go to others & help them or tell them how to live...We must lead by example & not by force...We first must take care of our own...
If, I only get one person who reads my words to help or to act to help another, then my investment of time has been worthwhile 4-Sure..
Peace/Love/Happiness 2 `all,
Last edited by Space; Dec 21, 2012 at 07:47 AM.
Now I believe you have a good idea there! Those areas that are run down, get those that live there to do it. Teach them to be self sufficient. The thing is, people are too lazy to take the time. I believe people should really look into what you mentioned. There is tons of land that is being unused, or used to put up more housing. If there was local organizations in each state that did just that. I believe there already is, maybe I am part of the problem. I can talk a big talk, but I don't have the funds, courage or the knowledge to follow through with all that is being talked about. I am really gonna try and work as hard as I can, and see if I can help to start something. But what you suggest should really be taken into consideration.
Hi Marquet,
I write often to my elected officials & get a nice form letter return...There are many organization that help others in every area...If one does not have the funds to help others, they can donate their time to help others in need.
My friends & I help the senior citizens in my area...Help them with repairs or taking them to the doc's or shopping etc...
There are many things you can do to help...I do think one should help their family first & if you are blessed with a family that doesn't need help, then there are plenty of other families or people that need help...
Thanks again for your words & post. I hope threads like this encourage others to get involved & help those that they can 4-Sure
Peace/Out
I write often to my elected officials & get a nice form letter return...There are many organization that help others in every area...If one does not have the funds to help others, they can donate their time to help others in need.
My friends & I help the senior citizens in my area...Help them with repairs or taking them to the doc's or shopping etc...
There are many things you can do to help...I do think one should help their family first & if you are blessed with a family that doesn't need help, then there are plenty of other families or people that need help...
Thanks again for your words & post. I hope threads like this encourage others to get involved & help those that they can 4-Sure
Peace/Out
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