Showing posts with label hunger in america. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hunger in america. Show all posts
Monday, October 12, 2015
Wednesday, March 25, 2015
"The verdict is in"
The caseworker yesterday, erroneously told me that the only way for me to find out what my monthly food stamp allotment will be is to wait for a letter to come in the mail!
But I knew that, there are 3 phone #'s on the back of the ebt card. I tried 2 of them, and you are never going to believe this.
I have been awarded .33 a day! That comes to 10 dollars a month!
Melinda asked me the last time when I was getting the 15 a month why don't I just appeal! I waited a whole year to go in there, and I only went in because I have been forced to go to the mission for dinner and only about 10% of the time is the food pallatible enough (to my tongue) to be able to eat it.
Today, I went to the grocery store and treated myself to a Bolthouse farms mocha cappuccino ($3) and a banana. I have enough for a loaf of potato bread and 100% peanut butter as long as I buy the store brand (Kroger) which is quite good.
I told the cashier I get .33 a day. I said, if you had .33 a day to "blow" on food, what would you blow it on? He was stumped.
Then, they ask you if you are "playing monopoly"
I replied I've never been a gambler but maybe it's time to start!
But I knew that, there are 3 phone #'s on the back of the ebt card. I tried 2 of them, and you are never going to believe this.
I have been awarded .33 a day! That comes to 10 dollars a month!
Melinda asked me the last time when I was getting the 15 a month why don't I just appeal! I waited a whole year to go in there, and I only went in because I have been forced to go to the mission for dinner and only about 10% of the time is the food pallatible enough (to my tongue) to be able to eat it.
Today, I went to the grocery store and treated myself to a Bolthouse farms mocha cappuccino ($3) and a banana. I have enough for a loaf of potato bread and 100% peanut butter as long as I buy the store brand (Kroger) which is quite good.
I told the cashier I get .33 a day. I said, if you had .33 a day to "blow" on food, what would you blow it on? He was stumped.
Then, they ask you if you are "playing monopoly"
I replied I've never been a gambler but maybe it's time to start!
Monday, March 23, 2015
second visit to food stamp office
I have procrastinated coming to the Food Stamp office for a whole year. They disqualified me they discontinued my food stamps about a year ago, I was getting 15 dollars a month from them. When you measure the hassle and the time that it takes to get all the documentation together its not even worth it for $15 a month.
I made two calls earlier today trying to get through a food stamp worker but no luck getting an actual human being, I was attempting to get another case worker assigned to me. The last case worker tried to grab papers out of my hands I held on with a death grip so she pulled and pulled and pulled until she succeeded in yanking them out of my hands. She informed me that I would no longer be getting my SSDI check for $36. I said well why not and she said well that's what it says on my computer screen but I can't give you a reason. I was really pissed off so I called the disability office today to find out why I will no longer be getting SSDI the worker said to me who told you that that's not true.
today I arrived at the case at the Food Stamp office at 1:45 p.m., I will probably have to wait until 5 p.m. because I do not know where my old food stamp card is.
When I arrived here I asked for a new case worker, I was told that I can't request that in advance I just have to see who calls me and then at that time if it turns out to be the same girl I would have to request another person.
The case worker who called me was a different person, also pretty unimpressive. He had no idea what my case file number is. I said I've got all the documentation that you've asked for me, he said well I don't know what documentation we asked of you!!!
I handed him everything that the last case worker had asked me for and more. When we were all done with the appointment he didn't tell me how much money I'll be getting, I told him that I have two cans of soup and spaghetti at home and I have $1 to last me for 10 days.
I went back up to the counter and I said sorry I forgot to ask you how much will I be getting each month. He said we are not permitted to release that information to you verbally! You are going to have to wait until you get a letter from us in the mail at that time you will know if you've been awarded stamps and how much you will get
There is a morbidly obese five year old child with a cough of death. Her mother can't control her, her mother is so busy texting that she didn't notice that the girl hold the pink fluorescent tape off of the broken switch and then she turned the deadbolt unlocked all the clients out!
She cried and whined for 2 hours she then began toppling over chairs the mother could not stop her. The case worker s the mother what kind of work do you do the mother replied I take care of developmentally disabled adults! no surprise really in the past when I've seen workers so-called caring for people with disabilities I wondered if they pull these employees out of the gutter. How can this mother possibly care for the developmentally disabled when she can't even care for her own five year old child
I can get away with things and mountain town that I would never be able to get away with in Baltimore. If I should correct an African American child in a Baltimore City Food Stamp office the mother would probably shoot me in the head, but here in mountain town if a child is causing danger or putting themselves in danger or toppling chairs over in the Food Stamp office I'm not afraid to correct the child. Of course the children always listen to strangers when they won't listen to their own parents so I did tell the little girl that it is not acceptable for her to topple chairs over, she never toppled another chair over for the time remaining and now she's just finally left the Food Stamp office. I have been asked to wait until the office closes because I don't know where my old food stamp card is so I'm going to have to wait if I want another one today
I made two calls earlier today trying to get through a food stamp worker but no luck getting an actual human being, I was attempting to get another case worker assigned to me. The last case worker tried to grab papers out of my hands I held on with a death grip so she pulled and pulled and pulled until she succeeded in yanking them out of my hands. She informed me that I would no longer be getting my SSDI check for $36. I said well why not and she said well that's what it says on my computer screen but I can't give you a reason. I was really pissed off so I called the disability office today to find out why I will no longer be getting SSDI the worker said to me who told you that that's not true.
today I arrived at the case at the Food Stamp office at 1:45 p.m., I will probably have to wait until 5 p.m. because I do not know where my old food stamp card is.
When I arrived here I asked for a new case worker, I was told that I can't request that in advance I just have to see who calls me and then at that time if it turns out to be the same girl I would have to request another person.
The case worker who called me was a different person, also pretty unimpressive. He had no idea what my case file number is. I said I've got all the documentation that you've asked for me, he said well I don't know what documentation we asked of you!!!
I handed him everything that the last case worker had asked me for and more. When we were all done with the appointment he didn't tell me how much money I'll be getting, I told him that I have two cans of soup and spaghetti at home and I have $1 to last me for 10 days.
I went back up to the counter and I said sorry I forgot to ask you how much will I be getting each month. He said we are not permitted to release that information to you verbally! You are going to have to wait until you get a letter from us in the mail at that time you will know if you've been awarded stamps and how much you will get
There is a morbidly obese five year old child with a cough of death. Her mother can't control her, her mother is so busy texting that she didn't notice that the girl hold the pink fluorescent tape off of the broken switch and then she turned the deadbolt unlocked all the clients out!
She cried and whined for 2 hours she then began toppling over chairs the mother could not stop her. The case worker s the mother what kind of work do you do the mother replied I take care of developmentally disabled adults! no surprise really in the past when I've seen workers so-called caring for people with disabilities I wondered if they pull these employees out of the gutter. How can this mother possibly care for the developmentally disabled when she can't even care for her own five year old child
I can get away with things and mountain town that I would never be able to get away with in Baltimore. If I should correct an African American child in a Baltimore City Food Stamp office the mother would probably shoot me in the head, but here in mountain town if a child is causing danger or putting themselves in danger or toppling chairs over in the Food Stamp office I'm not afraid to correct the child. Of course the children always listen to strangers when they won't listen to their own parents so I did tell the little girl that it is not acceptable for her to topple chairs over, she never toppled another chair over for the time remaining and now she's just finally left the Food Stamp office. I have been asked to wait until the office closes because I don't know where my old food stamp card is so I'm going to have to wait if I want another one today
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
The mission
The mission has served free dinner everyday but once for the last 25 years! I have never seen such a well-run and successful operation in any community that I have ever lived in
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
St Mary's Food Bank
I went to st. Mary's Food Bank yesterday oh maybe I already told you this, and they gave me 3 boxes of food. I gave 60% of it to the man behind me. I said to him we're creating like a Giving Circle.
I was extremely impressed with how organized st. Mary's is. When you pull up to the building there are two lanes of traffic it looks exactly like you are pulling up at your bank teller and you're in a car.
One lane is some new clients and the other lane is old clients. It was a 15 minute wait I expected that I would be the only one but instead there were rows of cars that just kept coming and coming. And obvious sign that people are not earning enough money to cover all their food expenses each month.
I went home and put the food away I had a couple of things with spinach I'm sorry lettuce little bit older but it was ok some vegetables from Mexico I didn't even know what they were they look similar to zucchini so a lot of fresh produce I was surprised in a little bit disappointed that there were no quick canned foods like macaroni and cheese or spaghetti o's I was very surprised no tuna fish no meat no milk no cheese. The reason why they are not giving out these items I am certain is because the general public is not donating that. I had a lot of cans of spaghetti sauce. A bag of white rice a lot of junk food so sweet a bag of nuts I couldn't get it open because of the safety seal. Nowadays there's three or four things I get from the grocery store every week I get at home and I can't get it open.
St Mary's is doing some wonderful things
Monday, July 22, 2013
"Food not bombs"
2 local Mountain Town churches are feeding the hungry once a week at the park. These are all wonderful kids between 18 and about 25. I told them about food not bombs but they had never heard of it.
www.foodnotbombs.org
or is it
www.foodnotbombs.net
either way, I just read a little diddy about them and was surprised that they are international as opposed to just being national.
www.foodnotbombs.org
or is it
www.foodnotbombs.net
either way, I just read a little diddy about them and was surprised that they are international as opposed to just being national.
Friday, June 7, 2013
"Could you live on a food stamp allotment?"
When you move or your situation changes in any way you need to submit those changes to the food stamp office.
So, I just got my letter today indicating what my new monthly allotment will be.
$25.00! That's right folks, $25.00
That's less then $1.00 a day! How would you spend your .90 a day?!
So, I just got my letter today indicating what my new monthly allotment will be.
$25.00! That's right folks, $25.00
That's less then $1.00 a day! How would you spend your .90 a day?!
Saturday, March 23, 2013
"Hannah Jaffe Waltz wants to know"
Last night on NPR, What is life like for America's hidden 14 million? by Hannah Jaffe Waltz. They are reffering to the 14 million who collect disability income. I will tell you, some of what i will tell her and she does want us to let her know what it is like.
Well, I'd bet that for persons waiting on ssi/ssdi most are thinking that their lives will improve quite a bit if they win. That is very unlikely. I got about 400 a month when i was approved in 2002. I expected a huge back payment, because i first applied in 94, but did not win til 02. My back payment? 3k. I had to walk the first thousand over to my last landlord who i was indebted to.
My thinking was that I'd take the disability money and that would be enough for housing. Boy was i dreaming. My friend Dan told me to quit my job right away lest i get in trouble for working. I did what he told me to do, and found that even with the ssi/ssdi I would still continue to cycle in and out of homelessness.
Maybe, when i get accepted into the subsidized housing life will get better. I waited 11.5 years to get into my first subsidized unit. I have been largely in subsidied housing since, however, my life has been consumed with violent crime ever since the day I got accepted into it. You wouldn't think, one would still go hungry or even starve but that did happen to me. It may be why I have severe nerve damage and weakness.
I'd love to tell people waiting on disability benefits that their lives will improve, but it is extremely unlikely it will improve by much, unless the applicant was lucky enough to have high earnings while they were working.
Well, I'd bet that for persons waiting on ssi/ssdi most are thinking that their lives will improve quite a bit if they win. That is very unlikely. I got about 400 a month when i was approved in 2002. I expected a huge back payment, because i first applied in 94, but did not win til 02. My back payment? 3k. I had to walk the first thousand over to my last landlord who i was indebted to.
My thinking was that I'd take the disability money and that would be enough for housing. Boy was i dreaming. My friend Dan told me to quit my job right away lest i get in trouble for working. I did what he told me to do, and found that even with the ssi/ssdi I would still continue to cycle in and out of homelessness.
Maybe, when i get accepted into the subsidized housing life will get better. I waited 11.5 years to get into my first subsidized unit. I have been largely in subsidied housing since, however, my life has been consumed with violent crime ever since the day I got accepted into it. You wouldn't think, one would still go hungry or even starve but that did happen to me. It may be why I have severe nerve damage and weakness.
I'd love to tell people waiting on disability benefits that their lives will improve, but it is extremely unlikely it will improve by much, unless the applicant was lucky enough to have high earnings while they were working.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
"USA Today/State by State"
Silver Spring MD 2/6/13
Montgomery County Officials and community leaders on Friday will talk at the civic center about their attempt this week to spend only $25 on food for a week! The amt. they are given in food stamps to highlight hunger issues , reported by The Washington Post!
author's note
I sure wish i could be there as a starvation survivor................................As it stands i have less then $2 a day to spend on food.
Montgomery County Officials and community leaders on Friday will talk at the civic center about their attempt this week to spend only $25 on food for a week! The amt. they are given in food stamps to highlight hunger issues , reported by The Washington Post!
author's note
I sure wish i could be there as a starvation survivor................................As it stands i have less then $2 a day to spend on food.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
"My moment in the spotlight"
Last night I went to an earth save dinner. Vegan potluck. The food is always fabulous and there was a panel of speakers afterwards who did a great job. I was really nervous and excited all at the same time when I spoke about there being a time in my life (this is a well heeled crowd) when I lived walking distance from the farmer's market but because they don't take food stamps, I couldn't get any food.
There was a handout indicating how there should be a regulation that food stamp (Independence) card holders should not be allowed to buy candy on their card. I said that "It shouldn't be about instituting more "can'ts" It should be about opening up access to healthy food and better nutrition education to people of all income levels. I also brought up the point that when you are without a car you can't always find a grocery store. Mark said that's right in some neighborhoods your only option is chinese food and the 7-11.
There was so much compassion in the room about what I said, and the speakers kept going back to my points in their talk. Small victory, felt empowering.
Good job to
www.earthsave.org
There was a handout indicating how there should be a regulation that food stamp (Independence) card holders should not be allowed to buy candy on their card. I said that "It shouldn't be about instituting more "can'ts" It should be about opening up access to healthy food and better nutrition education to people of all income levels. I also brought up the point that when you are without a car you can't always find a grocery store. Mark said that's right in some neighborhoods your only option is chinese food and the 7-11.
There was so much compassion in the room about what I said, and the speakers kept going back to my points in their talk. Small victory, felt empowering.
Good job to
www.earthsave.org
Thursday, June 26, 2008
The Emergency Service Center/balto. city
The emergency services centers ask you to wait until AFTER you receive your shut off notice from the utility company before coming for help. When I first started using these types of emergency helps in 94, I was surprised at how dysfunctional these systems are. Why wait for a serious crisis before asking for help, it makes no sense!
But that's the way our nation works. More Americans have had their utilities shut off this year then ever before in history. Those Americans will likely learn, the hard way, how to keep those utilities turned on no matter what.
You may remember, that I got 125 dollars from the Towson emerg. services center toward my utility bill. But, they don't release the monies until after you earn the balance of whatever the total bill was, WHAT?!!
. So, I got a 10 day extension for my shut off notice, then waited until today, (2 days before shut off) to go get the balance of the bill covered.
When I arrived down there at about 8:30 a.m., my neighbor (who came down there for utility shut off too) said, "you should have gotten here earlier." (She is in a wheelchair) I explained that I didn't come earlier because I can't stand for long periods and I knew that arriving before opening would mean I'd be stuck standing in a line outside.
There were about 50 people applying for assistance today. One can get food or util. assistance or both. Some of these centers are particularly depressing to visit and really drain me. I've always found this particular center a very stressful one to visit, so I haven't been for 2 years. (when I had the car)
In the past, when I had the car, I wondered, how are carless people supposed to walk home with all of these heavy bags? I couldn't do it.
Well, when I arrived, I was turned away (given a raincheck) for utility assistance, because they had run out of money. I was told to come back on July 10th. I told her that they are due to shut me off on 6/28; and she said "no, they won't turn you off immediately!"
I was sent into a mildewy, humid, unair-conditioned basement of the church with about 30 others to wait for food. I waited for 2 hours. The center is an 8 block walk from my apt. I was having a hard time breathing and wishing I had my inhaler, which thank goodness I haven't needed very often.
Anyhow, even though I had a wheely cart I could only fit about 1/3 of the food in it that they gave me. That's o.k. because 2/3 of what they gave me I didn't want, and just gave back to them.
What I turned away:
1 can tomato sauce (i have no noodles)
1 package of turkey gravy
1 bottle of sauerkraut
1 container of chocolate muffins
1 loaf of white bread
a cake
a can of evaporated milk
2 jars highly processed jif peanut butter
I told them I was going to give a bunch of stuff back. They reprimanded me saying that I should have told warned my interviewer of that in advance! (can't u just b grateful that I'm not a wasteful person?)
What I did accept:
3 cans tuna
1 box rice krispies
1 can corn
1 jar fresh pink grapefruit pieces
3 cans green beans
2 packages of ramen noodles
1 can chicken noodle soup
The walk home seems to take forever with this heavy cart, but I'm grateful and now the worry load is a little bit lighter. (Now, I have to hide the food in my apt. so the maint. man doesn't steal it from me)
As far as "the simple gifts" are concerned, I feel that I can" survive" as long as I have one dollar fifty cents in my pocket per day. I love to have coffee out! Hazelnut, please. That's the kind of simple gift that makes getting through each day in poverty a little bit easier. Many people with money criticize poor people who smoke, or buy a lottery ticket, or drink. But most humans need something pleasant to keep them going. For some people that's a cigarette, for me it's coffee out.
Would you like to join me?
But that's the way our nation works. More Americans have had their utilities shut off this year then ever before in history. Those Americans will likely learn, the hard way, how to keep those utilities turned on no matter what.
You may remember, that I got 125 dollars from the Towson emerg. services center toward my utility bill. But, they don't release the monies until after you earn the balance of whatever the total bill was, WHAT?!!
. So, I got a 10 day extension for my shut off notice, then waited until today, (2 days before shut off) to go get the balance of the bill covered.
When I arrived down there at about 8:30 a.m., my neighbor (who came down there for utility shut off too) said, "you should have gotten here earlier." (She is in a wheelchair) I explained that I didn't come earlier because I can't stand for long periods and I knew that arriving before opening would mean I'd be stuck standing in a line outside.
There were about 50 people applying for assistance today. One can get food or util. assistance or both. Some of these centers are particularly depressing to visit and really drain me. I've always found this particular center a very stressful one to visit, so I haven't been for 2 years. (when I had the car)
In the past, when I had the car, I wondered, how are carless people supposed to walk home with all of these heavy bags? I couldn't do it.
Well, when I arrived, I was turned away (given a raincheck) for utility assistance, because they had run out of money. I was told to come back on July 10th. I told her that they are due to shut me off on 6/28; and she said "no, they won't turn you off immediately!"
I was sent into a mildewy, humid, unair-conditioned basement of the church with about 30 others to wait for food. I waited for 2 hours. The center is an 8 block walk from my apt. I was having a hard time breathing and wishing I had my inhaler, which thank goodness I haven't needed very often.
Anyhow, even though I had a wheely cart I could only fit about 1/3 of the food in it that they gave me. That's o.k. because 2/3 of what they gave me I didn't want, and just gave back to them.
What I turned away:
1 can tomato sauce (i have no noodles)
1 package of turkey gravy
1 bottle of sauerkraut
1 container of chocolate muffins
1 loaf of white bread
a cake
a can of evaporated milk
2 jars highly processed jif peanut butter
I told them I was going to give a bunch of stuff back. They reprimanded me saying that I should have told warned my interviewer of that in advance! (can't u just b grateful that I'm not a wasteful person?)
What I did accept:
3 cans tuna
1 box rice krispies
1 can corn
1 jar fresh pink grapefruit pieces
3 cans green beans
2 packages of ramen noodles
1 can chicken noodle soup
The walk home seems to take forever with this heavy cart, but I'm grateful and now the worry load is a little bit lighter. (Now, I have to hide the food in my apt. so the maint. man doesn't steal it from me)
As far as "the simple gifts" are concerned, I feel that I can" survive" as long as I have one dollar fifty cents in my pocket per day. I love to have coffee out! Hazelnut, please. That's the kind of simple gift that makes getting through each day in poverty a little bit easier. Many people with money criticize poor people who smoke, or buy a lottery ticket, or drink. But most humans need something pleasant to keep them going. For some people that's a cigarette, for me it's coffee out.
Would you like to join me?
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