tractor
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Post by tractor on Aug 26, 2015 7:45:08 GMT -5
Our church has a generous monetary assistance program for those in need. I was discussing how the need was determined with our pastor and was quite impressed with the background research he does before sending out a check. One item really caught my attention, when someone contacts the church looking for money to feed their family, the pastor uses retired members to take the family shopping. So if I call and say I need food money, the church says OK, you can meet Mrs Smith at the store and she will go shopping with you to make sure you actually buy food. Then Mrs Smith will pay for the food out of the churches account.
I thought this was a great idea, and it prevents the waste associated with simply handing over some $ only to have it used to by booze and cigarettes. The retired volunteers love doing it and really feel like they are helping out.
Is this too much of an imposition? They are asking for a handout, and also get a chaperone to make sure the money is spent to fulfill their needs, not their wants.
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Aug 26, 2015 7:56:28 GMT -5
I see nothing wrong with it as long as those in need are not being preached to about religion. Offer help regardless of the person in need's spiritual beliefs.
What your church is doing is much like those who instead of giving a panhandler money for food and walks on, they take the panhandler to a fast food joint and buy a meal for both of them and enjoy it together.
I might recommend to your pastor the volunteers get a little traing in food nutrition and smart shopping (the food on shelves at eye level usually costs more than the food on lower levels (for example)) to pass along to those they help.
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NancysSummerSip
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Post by NancysSummerSip on Aug 26, 2015 9:09:47 GMT -5
No problem with it at all. Church's program, church's money, church's decision. The elders want to make sure the funds they have are used wisely, so it's up to them to figure out the best method. If someone in need isn't happy with the idea, they can find another helping hand.
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Wisconsin Beth
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Post by Wisconsin Beth on Aug 26, 2015 9:16:40 GMT -5
My Mom works with our Church's food pantry. There's about 12 families using it. She helps with the bagging up of the food once a month. I'll have to ask her if they also give gift cards/cash for fresh fruit/veggies. I'm fairly sure most of what they're packing is canned/boxed type foods with 'sturdy' veggies like potatoes.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 9:17:31 GMT -5
Well I don't know if I would call it a new twist, but okay. If it is the church's money, they can do whatever and make whatever rules they want with it. If it is government assistance money (like FEMA EFSP dollars or similar) they need to obey the rules of the funding source.
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ArchietheDragon
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Post by ArchietheDragon on Aug 26, 2015 9:20:56 GMT -5
nice
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tractor
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Post by tractor on Aug 26, 2015 9:58:01 GMT -5
What I thought was interesting was the fact that the families are required to go with a chaperone. I can see some people not wanting to play along and being offended that they can't buy whatever they want. My understanding is not that they don't allow them to by some unhealthy snacks, but no booze or cigarettes. We used to use gift cards, but found too many families were actually re-selling the gift cards for cash to buy other things, and not food for their kids.
I like the idea much better than the lady I was behind last night using her bridge card to buy cheetoos, Mountain Dew, and candy bars...
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tractor
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Post by tractor on Aug 26, 2015 9:59:18 GMT -5
Well I don't know if I would call it a new twist, but okay. If it is the church's money, they can do whatever and make whatever rules they want with it. If it is government assistance money (like FEMA EFSP dollars or similar) they need to obey the rules of the funding source. No federal funds involved, money is from private donations (funds presently in excess of $200,000).
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Aug 26, 2015 10:35:57 GMT -5
It's a private organization - they can put pretty much put whatever conditions on the money they want... as long as it's the organizations money and not the governments money. The chaperone thing sounds kinda good... but I can see where the recipient would feel some peer pressure to buy the 'right things' - even if it's stuff their kids (or they themselves) won't eat or use. I'm sure for someone who's got a good handle on what a nutriticious meal consists of and what 'portion sizes' are appropriate and who isn't caving into total consumerism (sugar flakes for breakfast with choco milk, hotpockets for lunch, and then hotdogs and ketchup for dinner - cause that's ONLY what their family will eat...) wouldn't have too much of a problem with being chaperoned. I bet someone who "knows" they (or their family) are too fat or who 'knows' they shouldn't be eating only sugar flakes and chocolate milk, hotpockets, and hotdogs with ketchup (hey! there's a veggie in there!) will probably feel very uncomfortable - because maybe they don't know what they should buy or how to prepare it. yeah, I'm stereotyping 'bad eating habits'... don't take it too literally. Could be a humiliating experience...
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busymom
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Post by busymom on Aug 26, 2015 10:45:46 GMT -5
I think it's a GREAT idea.
Some of the problems we've had around here with people trying to help kids, is that the donations don't go where they should. Example: giving away backpacks full of school supplies sounds like a great idea, until you find out some parents sell them to support their habits. A teacher I know used to buy winter boots for kids who didn't have any, & then found out some parents were selling the boots she purchased with her own money, leaving kids once again with no boots. This teacher's solution was writing the child's name BIG on the back of the boots, so they wouldn't get resold. Some adults out there refuse to act like adults, which makes me wonder why we let them keep their children.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Aug 26, 2015 11:13:35 GMT -5
I think it's a GREAT idea.
Some of the problems we've had around here with people trying to help kids, is that the donations don't go where they should. Example: giving away backpacks full of school supplies sounds like a great idea, until you find out some parents sell them to support their habits. A teacher I know used to buy winter boots for kids who didn't have any, & then found out some parents were selling the boots she purchased with her own money, leaving kids once again with no boots. This teacher's solution was writing the child's name BIG on the back of the boots, so they wouldn't get resold. Some adults out there refuse to act like adults, which makes me wonder why we let them keep their children. What is even more unfortunate is that we allow, and to some extent even encourage, parents like that to use their kids as a revenue source. That's why I don't buy the blanket "it's for the kids, you can't penalize the kid because of their parents" arguements that some folks make. In those cases, the kids don't benefit anyway. If I was comfortable that "it's for the kids" money, goods, and services actually benefitted the disadvantaged kids it is intended for, rather than giving druggy parents another way to fund their habit, I'd be a lot more supportive.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Aug 26, 2015 12:38:13 GMT -5
Yup, we had to keep the kids shoes at school and they wore whatever to school and changed there. Because their mom stole them and returned them for cash. Then got mad because we "shamed" her daughter by keeping her shoes at school instead of believing she "lost" them. We couldn't tell mom her daughter told us what her mom did.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2015 13:23:11 GMT -5
I think it's a GREAT idea.
Some of the problems we've had around here with people trying to help kids, is that the donations don't go where they should. Example: giving away backpacks full of school supplies sounds like a great idea, until you find out some parents sell them to support their habits. I've always wondered how many kids get to eat all the food in their backpacks. How many have them taken away by bigger, older kids? How many feel obligated to share it with the whole family? It's all really sad. I'm for anything that makes sure that donated money is used the way the donor intended it to be used.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 13:36:22 GMT -5
Well I don't know if I would call it a new twist, but okay. If it is the church's money, they can do whatever and make whatever rules they want with it. If it is government assistance money (like FEMA EFSP dollars or similar) they need to obey the rules of the funding source. No federal funds involved, money is from private donations (funds presently in excess of $200,000). Well good for you guys! And I mean that sincerely .
I just don't think that "assisted shopping" is a new concept. Well, maybe taking someone in person is in some places, but we've been running a FEMA EFSP (Emergency Food and Shelter Program) for more than a dozen years and there is a heavily "assisted" aspect to it.
When we house people, we choose the place and pay the bill. We choose it because it gives us the ability to meet up with the person and start the case management process with them to try and help them end their homelessness.
When we give food vouches to people, it is to a local grocery store that knows our program well. When they pick up the voucher/gift card, the client signs a form promising to use it for only food - no diapers, paper goods, OTC meds, booze or cigarettes (if a client need diapers or meds there is another source for that). Every card is labeled with a stickers that says "Not for [the things listed above]." All the store employees know to honor it. AND in signing for the card the client is required to bring back their purchase receipt to us. In 12 or so years, we've had NO fails in this program - I think mostly because the folks who would want to use it for something else or scam the program somehow (i.e., turn around and sell the card) walk away before signing because they don't want to meet the requirements.
Beyond that, however, there are no restrictions on what kind of food they buy - mostly because the funder does not put any restrictions on what kind of food is purchased. If they buy what we consider to be "junk food" - well, so be it.
Many homeless or precariously housed persons (i.e., living in SROs, flop houses or temporary motel rooms) do not have any access to cooking or storage (refrigeration) appliances or facilities. It's really easy for folks who have never been in their shoes to forget (or not even be aware of) how difficult or impossible it is to purchase, prepare and store healthy (perishable) meals and foods when stability and access are not available.
Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Aug 26, 2015 13:46:10 GMT -5
It sounds like a good program but I just keep getting a mental image of some old bitty walking behind a lady with 3 kids telling her she can't buy a frozen lasagna and should take the 3 hours to make it from scratch. Kind of like Marie Barone . LOL!
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Knee Deep in Water Chloe
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Post by Knee Deep in Water Chloe on Aug 26, 2015 13:52:23 GMT -5
I don't see it being that much different than WIC. WIC has incredibly specific guidelines for what can be purchased.
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happyhoix
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Post by happyhoix on Aug 26, 2015 15:19:11 GMT -5
What I thought was interesting was the fact that the families are required to go with a chaperone. I can see some people not wanting to play along and being offended that they can't buy whatever they want. My understanding is not that they don't allow them to by some unhealthy snacks, but no booze or cigarettes. We used to use gift cards, but found too many families were actually re-selling the gift cards for cash to buy other things, and not food for their kids. I like the idea much better than the lady I was behind last night using her bridge card to buy cheetoos, Mountain Dew, and candy bars... Funny you should mention this. Last night I went to the store and bought a six pack of Marzen style Octoberfest beer, a large size bottle of Goliath red wine (cheap wine to make sangria out of), some cat treats and four things of yogurt. I got a little embarrassed in the express check out line at the dominance of alcohol in my basket, off set by just a few yogurts, so I snuck a look at the guy in line behind me to see if he was looking at me in a judgmental way (or to see if it was someone I go to church with) and saw that the guy had a shopping cart full of about ten of those large sized plastic containers with the 100 count Clorox antimicrobial/bleach wipes - and that was all he was buying. And, to me, he looked tense. So now instead of being somewhat embarrassed of my liquor purchases I'm worried that the guy behind me is cleaning up following some kind of axe murder. And, by the way, I think what your church is doing is great. People who honestly want to buy food for their families will not have a problem with it. People who were hoping to get some cash for drugs or alcohol - so what if they're disappointed. They can get a job and then come stand in line with me and the axe murderers.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Aug 26, 2015 15:21:08 GMT -5
No federal funds involved, money is from private donations (funds presently in excess of $200,000). Well good for you guys! And I mean that sincerely .
I just don't think that "assisted shopping" is a new concept. Well, maybe taking someone in person is in some places, but we've been running a FEMA EFSP (Emergency Food and Shelter Program) for more than a dozen years and there is a heavily "assisted" aspect to it.
When we house people, we choose the place and pay the bill. We choose it because it gives us the ability to meet up with the person and start the case management process with them to try and help them end their homelessness.
When we give food vouches to people, it is to a local grocery store that knows our program well. When they pick up the voucher/gift card, the client signs a form promising to use it for only food - no diapers, paper goods, OTC meds, booze or cigarettes (if a client need diapers or meds there is another source for that). Every card is labeled with a stickers that says "Not for [the things listed above]." All the store employees know to honor it. AND in signing for the card the client is required to bring back their purchase receipt to us. In 12 or so years, we've had NO fails in this program - I think mostly because the folks who would want to use it for something else or scam the program somehow (i.e., turn around and sell the card) walk away before signing because they don't want to meet the requirements.
Beyond that, however, there are no restrictions on what kind of food they buy - mostly because the funder does not put any restrictions on what kind of food is purchased. If they buy what we consider to be "junk food" - well, so be it.
Many homeless or precariously housed persons (i.e., living in SROs, flop houses or temporary motel rooms) do not have any access to cooking or storage (refrigeration) appliances or facilities. It's really easy for folks who have never been in their shoes to forget (or not even be aware of) how difficult or impossible it is to purchase, prepare and store healthy (perishable) meals and foods when stability and access are not available.
Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source.
A FEMA emergency food and shelter program that has gone on for 12 years? Please tell me that this has been at a variety of disaster areas, not just one. Please tell me we haven't turned an emergency response program into a poverty subsistance program.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 15:30:59 GMT -5
Well good for you guys! And I mean that sincerely .
I just don't think that "assisted shopping" is a new concept. Well, maybe taking someone in person is in some places, but we've been running a FEMA EFSP (Emergency Food and Shelter Program) for more than a dozen years and there is a heavily "assisted" aspect to it.
When we house people, we choose the place and pay the bill. We choose it because it gives us the ability to meet up with the person and start the case management process with them to try and help them end their homelessness.
When we give food vouches to people, it is to a local grocery store that knows our program well. When they pick up the voucher/gift card, the client signs a form promising to use it for only food - no diapers, paper goods, OTC meds, booze or cigarettes (if a client need diapers or meds there is another source for that). Every card is labeled with a stickers that says "Not for [the things listed above]." All the store employees know to honor it. AND in signing for the card the client is required to bring back their purchase receipt to us. In 12 or so years, we've had NO fails in this program - I think mostly because the folks who would want to use it for something else or scam the program somehow (i.e., turn around and sell the card) walk away before signing because they don't want to meet the requirements.
Beyond that, however, there are no restrictions on what kind of food they buy - mostly because the funder does not put any restrictions on what kind of food is purchased. If they buy what we consider to be "junk food" - well, so be it.
Many homeless or precariously housed persons (i.e., living in SROs, flop houses or temporary motel rooms) do not have any access to cooking or storage (refrigeration) appliances or facilities. It's really easy for folks who have never been in their shoes to forget (or not even be aware of) how difficult or impossible it is to purchase, prepare and store healthy (perishable) meals and foods when stability and access are not available.
Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source.
A FEMA emergency food and shelter program that has gone on for 12 years? Please tell me that this has been at a variety of disaster areas, not just one. Please tell me we haven't turned an emergency response program into a poverty subsistance program. It has actually gone on for more than 12 years. Phase 33 will commence in January of 2016 (or so we are being told). And no, it has not morphed into a poverty subsistence program. The emphasis in the program is VERY much on the word "Emergency." No one gets any kind of long-term benefits from this program.
The max hotel stay is 30 days in a calendar year (and during that 30 days FEMA is expecting contracted providers to be intensely case managing homeless individuals and families to find them permanent and sustainable housing. Sometimes they do; many times the issues and problems are so deep and wide it takes longer).
There is no limit on food vouchers, but programs limit what they hand out, and hand it out most often in conjunction with active case management.
One of its (EFSP's) operational hiccups is that the program - nationwide - has to wait every year to see what is "left over" in the FEMA coffers to know if there will be any money at all to fund EFSP.
So no - it is not a poverty subsistence program. There are no endless "no questions asked" hand outs. It is an engagement tool for people in emergency homeless and semi-homeless (i.e., couch surfing) situations to seek help and long-term solutions to their problems.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Aug 26, 2015 15:40:27 GMT -5
::Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source. ::
I think most don't care how people live their lives...right up until you decide you're going to spend my money...then I care. How you spend my money today affects how much of my money you're going to end up taking tomorrow.
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tskeeter
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Post by tskeeter on Aug 26, 2015 15:49:03 GMT -5
A FEMA emergency food and shelter program that has gone on for 12 years? Please tell me that this has been at a variety of disaster areas, not just one. Please tell me we haven't turned an emergency response program into a poverty subsistance program. It has actually gone on for more than 12 years. Phase 33 will commence in January of 2016 (or so we are being told). And no, it has not morphed into a poverty subsistence program. The emphasis in the program is VERY much on the word "Emergency." No one gets any kind of long-term benefits from this program.
The max hotel stay is 30 days in a calendar year (and during that 30 days FEMA is expecting contracted providers to be intensely case managing homeless individuals and families to find them permanent and sustainable housing. Sometimes they do; many times the issues and problems are so deep and wide it takes longer).
There is no limit on food vouchers, but programs limit what they hand out, and hand it out most often in conjunction with active case management.
One of its (EFSP's) operational hiccups is that the program - nationwide - has to wait every year to see what is "left over" in the FEMA coffers to know if there will be any money at all to fund EFSP.
So no - it is not a poverty subsistence program. There are no endless "no questions asked" hand outs. It is an engagement tool for people in emergency homeless and semi-homeless (i.e., couch surfing) situations to seek help and long-term solutions to their problems.
So, I'm not finding an answer to my basic question. But, reading between the lines, it sounds like you've been involved with an ongoing program in a single locality for more than a decade. I thought the FEMA mission was to respond to disasters and provide support in the period immediately following a disaster. Not to supplement ongoing support for the homeless in situations that are not large scale disasters. Is my understanding of what FEMA does incorrect?
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 15:49:18 GMT -5
::Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source. ::
I think most don't care how people live their lives...right up until you decide you're going to spend my money...then I care. How you spend my money today affects how much of my money you're going to end up taking tomorrow. But OP was very clear that this is private money - not taxpayer money.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 15:51:06 GMT -5
It has actually gone on for more than 12 years. Phase 33 will commence in January of 2016 (or so we are being told). And no, it has not morphed into a poverty subsistence program. The emphasis in the program is VERY much on the word "Emergency." No one gets any kind of long-term benefits from this program.
The max hotel stay is 30 days in a calendar year (and during that 30 days FEMA is expecting contracted providers to be intensely case managing homeless individuals and families to find them permanent and sustainable housing. Sometimes they do; many times the issues and problems are so deep and wide it takes longer).
There is no limit on food vouchers, but programs limit what they hand out, and hand it out most often in conjunction with active case management.
One of its (EFSP's) operational hiccups is that the program - nationwide - has to wait every year to see what is "left over" in the FEMA coffers to know if there will be any money at all to fund EFSP.
So no - it is not a poverty subsistence program. There are no endless "no questions asked" hand outs. It is an engagement tool for people in emergency homeless and semi-homeless (i.e., couch surfing) situations to seek help and long-term solutions to their problems.
So, I'm not finding an answer to my basic question. But, reading between the lines, it sounds like you've been involved with an ongoing program in a single locality for more than a decade. I thought the FEMA mission was to respond to disasters and provide support in the period immediately following a disaster. Not to supplement ongoing support for the homeless in situations that are not large scale disasters. Is my understanding of what FEMA does incorrect? Here ya go:
www.fema.gov/recovery-directorate/emergency-food-shelter-program-fact-sheet
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Aug 26, 2015 15:56:04 GMT -5
::Poverty sucks. I don't quite know why *some* people (not calling out folks here! Just reflecting on the world in general) are so quick to judge how other cope and live their lives (i.e, buy junk food) when they have never been faced with what that person deals with on an hourly and daily basis. Try opening a can of food when you have no can opener, no cooking vessel to heat the food and no heat source. ::
I think most don't care how people live their lives...right up until you decide you're going to spend my money...then I care. How you spend my money today affects how much of my money you're going to end up taking tomorrow. But OP was very clear that this is private money - not taxpayer money. The person who wrote the entry that I responded to was writing about their association with FEMA...taxpayer money.
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kittensaver
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 16:27:39 GMT -5
But OP was very clear that this is private money - not taxpayer money. The person who wrote the entry that I responded to was writing about their association with FEMA...taxpayer money. Well that was me . . . and I still don't get how a $25 gift card to Ralphs or Vons under a federal emergency (NOT long-term) assistance program for a homeless person to buy food for two or three days while a case manager comes along side them to begin the process of helping them unwind their problems and get permanently off the street makes a hill of beans of a difference to anyone's personal bottom line . . . but okay. Take a gander at the conversation going on over at the other homeless thread . . . there certainly a few folks there who consider homeless people moving into their neighborhoods to be an emergency or even a disaster.
I think the critics who are not heartless are just clueless. (the Big You critics out there, NOT you Hoops personally)
Flame away.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Aug 26, 2015 16:31:36 GMT -5
The person who wrote the entry that I responded to was writing about their association with FEMA...taxpayer money. Well that was me . . . and I still don't get how a $25 gift card to Ralphs or Vons under a federal emergency (NOT long-term) assistance program for a homeless person to buy food for two or three days while a case manager comes along side them to begin the process of helping them unwind their problems and get permanently off the street makes a hill of beans of a difference to anyone's personal bottom line . . . but okay. Take a gander at the conversation going on over at the other homeless thread . . . there certainly a few folks there who consider homeless people moving into their neighborhoods to be an emergency or even a disaster.
I think the critics who are not heartless are just clueless. (the Big You critics out there, NOT you Hoops personally)
Flame away.
Over the last 10 years, how many dollars worth of gift cards do you think have been given out though? Nobody thinks the little deal is important...until someone counts up just how cumulative it has gotten. It doesn't need to be the first priority, but people not caring about little costs is how the government ends up spending thousands on a hammer. Just like someone should worry about their $1500 truck payment before they worry about their $3 Starbucks...but that $3 Starbucks still adds up once it gets to the bottom line even if you're breaking even...we are NOT breaking even...everything needs attention when it comes to spending.
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Deleted
Joined: Sept 30, 2024 4:26:36 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 26, 2015 16:32:00 GMT -5
There is a growing heroin and homeless problem in my county and that type of program would help a lot of people. Many of them seem to be coming from the release of a ton of inmates from prison... I passed along the program info and am interested to see if it exists here or could help. So, thanks!
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kittensaver
Junior Associate
We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 16:35:25 GMT -5
Well that was me . . . and I still don't get how a $25 gift card to Ralphs or Vons under a federal emergency (NOT long-term) assistance program for a homeless person to buy food for two or three days while a case manager comes along side them to begin the process of helping them unwind their problems and get permanently off the street makes a hill of beans of a difference to anyone's personal bottom line . . . but okay. Take a gander at the conversation going on over at the other homeless thread . . . there certainly a few folks there who consider homeless people moving into their neighborhoods to be an emergency or even a disaster.
I think the critics who are not heartless are just clueless. (the Big You critics out there, NOT you Hoops personally)
Flame away.
Over the last 10 years, how many dollars worth of gift cards do you think have been given out though? Nobody thinks the little deal is important...until someone counts up just how cumulative it has gotten. It doesn't need to be the first priority, but people not caring about little costs is how the government ends up spending thousands on a hammer. Just like someone should worry about their $1500 truck payment before they worry about their $3 Starbucks...but that $3 Starbucks still adds up once it gets to the bottom line even if you're breaking even...we are NOT breaking even...everything needs attention when it comes to spending. Well you can answer your question (about the dollars spent) for yourself. The EFSP page on the FEMA website gives all the statistics.
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kittensaver
Junior Associate
We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love. - Mother Teresa
Joined: Nov 22, 2011 16:16:36 GMT -5
Posts: 7,983
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Post by kittensaver on Aug 26, 2015 16:51:01 GMT -5
There is a growing heroin and homeless problem in my county and that type of program would help a lot of people. Many of them seem to be coming from the release of a ton of inmates from prison... I passed along the program info and am interested to see if it exists here or could help. So, thanks! Contact you local United Way. Most EFSP program are run through them or an affiliate. Good luck.
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Shooby
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Post by Shooby on Aug 26, 2015 18:31:36 GMT -5
I see nothing wrong with it as long as those in need are not being preached to about religion. Offer help regardless of the person in need's spiritual beliefs. What your church is doing is much like those who instead of giving a panhandler money for food and walks on, they take the panhandler to a fast food joint and buy a meal for both of them and enjoy it together. I might recommend to your pastor the volunteers get a little traing in food nutrition and smart shopping (the food on shelves at eye level usually costs more than the food on lower levels (for example)) to pass along to those they help. Why should they not be "preached to about religion"? They are asking for help from a church. So, if they want to "preach" to you, that is their prerogative. If you don't like it, then get your help elsewhere.
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