Iowans go hungry in land of plenty

[JoFerret]

http://www.dailygate.com/articles/2004/04/05/news/news3.txt

DES MOINES (AP) -- Hunger is gaining ground in Iowa, the state that is first in the nation in the production of pork, corn and eggs and second in soybeans and red meat production.

Here in the heartland -- and the home of World Food Prize -- nearly every group working with low-income Iowans has felt it.

The number of calls to a hot line from people needing food jumped from 607 in 2002 to 974 in 2003.

The Des Moines Area Religious Council's Emergency Food Pantry sites served a record 34,264 central Iowans in 2003. The number of Iowans receiving emergency food assistance from pantries and soup kitchens leapt from 721,869 in 2000 to 934,382 in 2002.

Iowa's hunger problem is not the bloated-belly starvation you see in Third World countries. Nor is it the big-city dig-through-trash-bins type. This is heartland-style hunger - hidden, embarrassed and more pervasive than Iowans may suspect.
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[mzmolly]

1. Sounds like a repeat of the Reagan years.... ahhh those wonderful

Republican policies at work.

[Bluzmann57]

2. Speaking as an Iowan

and a proud one at that, I do not find this surprising. We have done volunteer work with my wife's church and with the Salvation Army and it is a growing problem. As more and more people lose their jobs, it will only get worse. In the alley in back of our house, there are a few homeless that scrounge for cans and we sometimes leave them out, empty 12 packs of beer cans and soda cans. I realize it isn't much, but every little bit helps and we have some neighbors who do the same thing. It is very sad to see children who must go hungry because there just isn't any money left over. And it's not only the jobless who are going hungry. A lot of people are just not getting paid enough at their jobs, so they have to cut corners, sometimes going without a meal here and there.

[Jim Warren]

3. Let's see, Iowa's share

of the war cost should be about 786,000,000 right about now at the time of my post anyway. And rising.

See the cost for your neighborhood.

http://costofwar.com/

[theHandpuppet]

4. Demand for food escalating

The local food bank here is struggling to meet the increasing need for food -- and some of those in need are our disabled vets (there is a vet hospital here). At the same time the need is increasing donations are down. The folks at the food bank say donations have gone down since 911. Go figure -- I'm no psychologist.

Anyway, I deliver food to the food bank once a week and while there ask them if they have any special needs. By clipping coupons from the Sunday paper's inserts and taking advantage of two-for-one specials I'm able to deliver several bags of foodstuffs each week. It's truly easy and takes so little time. I hope everyone will consider helping out their local food bank. If not with groceries, then money or even those gift cards they sell at the grocers, which come in really handy when one of the volunteers has to make a run because they are short of meat or vegetables or baby food.

Most food banks also gladly take donations of fresh produce, so if you garden like I do, save a portion of your crop for those in need -- it really gives you a little extra inspiration to tend your garden.

Lastly, a big THANK YOU to any here who volunteer at food banks across the country. You are the best.

[GemMom]

6. Plant a Row for the Hungry

http://www.gwaa.org/par/

I'm one of those gardeners who wish I had the luxury of more time to devote to improving my garden and my gardening skills. In the meantime, I put in extra tomato plants last year and took the extras that my family didn't eat to the nearest food bank, sponsored by our local township (public facility).

[Spring]

5. Iowa Has high cost utility Bills

Iowa has high cost utility bills

[newyawker99]

7. Hi Spring!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[leesa]

8. I thought the religious communities were just begging for the job.

Isn't that why Bush said we could safely cut food safety nets....because the religious community would take over the void.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Omigosh. Doesn't it make you grind your teeth to remember that baloney?

Found this momento while dumpster diving in google:

GOP looks to charities, religious groups to help cure social ills

December 23, 2000
Web posted at: 3:16 PM EST (2016 GMT)


TOPEKA, Kansas (CNN) -- The Republican Party laid out its vision Saturday for tackling the old challenges of "how America opens its heart and arms to those less fortunate," but one critic labeled the vision a "misguided disaster."

In the GOP radio address, Gov. Bill Graves of Kansas made it clear that the promise of compassionate conservatism that helped carry George W. Bush to victory will be borne, in large part, by private charities and faith-based organizations.

"Government can't perfect an imperfect society," Graves said in an address taped in Topeka on Friday. "It can't, and shouldn't, be the answer to every problem."

Graves noted that Bush had already begun the effort, meeting Wednesday with 30 ministers and other religious leaders "on expanding the role of charities and churches in federal welfare programs."
(snip/...)

http://www.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/12/23/gop.radio/


St. Frank