Recession Sends Older Americans To Food Pantries

[kpete]

Source: Huffington Post


ALBANY, N.Y. — Older Americans who were raised on stories of the Great Depression and acquired lifelong habits of thrift now find themselves crowding soup kitchens and food pantries in greater numbers for the first time after seeing retirement funds, second jobs and nest eggs wiped out by recession.

"What we see in line is lots of gray hair, lots of walkers," said Marti Forman, CEO of The Cooperative Feeding Program in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The help is crucial for many fixed-income seniors, who can't always keep up with rising food prices.

"It's a lifeline. It just means that you can function," said Ronald Shewchuk of Ithaca, N.Y. "Otherwise we would have to sell our house. I don't know what we would do. Go to an old age home."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/28/recession-sends-older-ame_n_372665.html

[GreenStormCloud]

1. For many seniors, it means dying.

Many seniors have to take medications that they no longer have money for. So they die.

In any truly civilized country, that would not happen.

And it doesn't cost that much to hand out basic food packages either.

[Lorien]

4. True. One wonders what the civilized Nations of the world think of us

I can't imagine such things happening in places like Denmark or Sweden, for instance. So much money for our wars, not much at all for our people.

[anonymous171]

7. The American military sustains their lifestyle.

The entire western world is dependent on American imperialism.

[Raschel]

2. It's sad also that seniors don't live with their families like in the past.

I see immigrants who come over and maintain their tradition of the family unit with three generations under one roof.

[Lorien]

5. Many don't have families

If a person never had children, or their child/ children have died, then what?

[Raschel]

8. Of course my comment didn't include every senior.

[DJ13]

3. .............. who can't always keep up with rising food prices.

But our benevolent government tells us theres no inflation, so Social Security wont see a COLA next year, or even in 2011.

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Plenty of tax$$$ for THE WAR MACHINE and WALL STREET though, right Mr President?

:puke:

[Individualist]

9. I wish I could recommend your post.

:thumbsup: