Have you ever been so poor

[helgaleena]

Luka and Hifizija, I think I can feel your differing ways of dealing with the past equally as good as one another. Some things which have happened to me I still cannot bear to think about. But going hungry I can remember pretty clearly.

The great lesson I learned, when my teeth started to get loose, is that people who are not sure about where their next food is coming from have no energy left to think, or to make art, or even to keep themselves looking like good citizens with decent clothes and so on. I really missed being able to think, and fear of that state is still with me.

 

[D_Fizzy Cola Bottles]

that you didn`t have anything to eat?

If you are hungry and poor, there is always a church soup kitchen you can go to. And there are social service projects/ agencies that can help you. There is always a way. You just have to be resourceful.

 

[hifzija]

I agree Helgaleena.I'd prefer to forget the past (also as Luka).
But some experience (as You said) i can remember pretty clearly.Me,the war helped to grow up fast.But it is better not to think about it,as Luka said `...it hurts like hell...`.

I do not agree with you Spoon Full 8.It all depends from country to country,from society to society.

 

[idesofmarch]

that you didn`t have anything to eat?

In my younger days, yes. Only the rent of my appartment took 60% of my net income.

But, you can get used to not eating. At first it was terrible. Finally, as I had always been slightly overweight, I developed a love affair to my scale at home. Each lost gram was a sensation to me, until the day I went to see a doctor, and realised I had gone too far. Freezing all the time, and always tired, the doctor told me, it's between the ears.

I could have asked for help, but always been the one who tried to cope on my own.

If you find yourself in the same situation, please ask for help. Don't be as stupid as I was, and ruin your helath, there is always someone who cares.

 

[breeze]

This gives me a chance to rant.
I remember i had to take 2 years of spanish in high school and one year in college. Someone asked the spanish teacher what was the point in taking spanish courses { required for college }. She thought for a moment and said " you might visit mexico sometimes". Oh.
My point is why don't they { schools } teach you about the real world and how to survive in it. I remember seeing a craigslist post a couple years ago. Someone in sf was dying and was unable to afford medical care. I don't know how much it helped but i told her/him that except for the united states most developed countries including canada had free medical care. { how long you had to live there was another question } The more you know the better you can cope.
I would require courses in finance , health , jobs , social programs etc etc the whole range of experiences that are life. If i were teaching one of these courses one topic i would cover would be " What would you do if you were broke and on the verge of being homeless". I would require term papers and intense class discussions on what options are available if any. Another what be what is the job market really like. What kind of jobs are out there ? Some people still think a college degree means a good job. I now, especially with the net, teach students about the stock market. We are so clueless about so many important things in life. Some professor at sf state taught an urban course i believe. He would leave a couple student broke in the middle of san francisco for a day and ask them to cope. The question was what if one day a student didn't return. Maybe you can't gasp the reality at that age but some idea might save a lot of suffering later.
I remember when i graduated from berkeley how it was almost impossible to find a decent job. And wondered how others coped. Now i kind of have an idea. Most people when they are young have financial problems. The net worth of someone 35 use to be only 5000. I would also teach a course on how to make money. I've made a small fortune buying comics and stocks. Most of the rich in this country made their money starting a small business not going to harvard law. We have to know how the system works. And its not going to get easlier because most people outlive their savings.

 

[ManofThunder]

I've never been quite that poor, but I have existed on cheap frozen foods and other such junk. When your stomach is growling and you know you must save the food - it's not pleasant. I feel sorry for the truly needy.

 

[aninnymouse]

If you are hungry and poor, there is always a church soup kitchen you can go to. And there are social service projects/ agencies that can help you. There is always a way. You just have to be resourceful.

If only. Many times these organizations and agencies are poorly funded and not well supplied. This is in urban areas in the USA.

As for being resorceful, it gets harder and harder as time goes by to simply exist day to day while going from agency to agency looking for food, necessary toiletries, and even a place to stay that has warmth/safety.

In the USA, the saddest thing is, that the social servce projects/agencies that can help you are either 1, out of money; or 2, set up to only serve the lowest strata of society, so that once you get to a certain level, you are inelligible for the benefits, but still need help. Think of a person who makes $500 per week Gross, your monthly rent is $600+ for a 1 bedroom apartment, your utilities are $400+ with gas and electric, water, sewage, trash pickup and miscellaneous costs, Food is expensive, Where I live, a Gallon of milk costs about $3 US on average, and then there are miscellaneous living expenses like having a car, public transit, any bills/debt you owe. One can survive on that, I have for years. However, then if you have a crisis, such as job loss, an accident, anything out of the ordinary that causes expense, you're screwed. Add on any luxuries at all.....it's over. That's why some people are in debt up to their eyeballs.

Either way, you have a mess. Yes, many people's problems are compounded by and created by their own mistakes and patterns of behavior, but you cannot blame the victim.

 

[Kotchanski]

If you are hungry and poor, there is always a church soup kitchen you can go to. And there are social service projects/ agencies that can help you. There is always a way. You just have to be resourceful.

I consider thread reading to be rather resourceful. Had you considered the same, you may not have just insulted the several people in this thread, myself included, who did try all of these options, and was turned down by each and every one of them, for not "ticking the right boxes"

 

[D_Fizzy Cola Bottles]

I consider thread reading to be rather resourceful. Had you considered the same, you may not have just insulted the several people in this thread, myself included, who did try all of these options, and was turned down by each and every one of them, for not "ticking the right boxes"

Where I live there are at least three churches in walking distance that have soup kitchen programs and food pantries. You simply show up if you are hungry. Some of them have qualifications but I can't imagine a church turning someone away cold. There was one time I didn't have enough food and went to one of these churches--I didn't match their profile but one of the nuns sat with me, looked up other programs/ resources in my area that could help me. She took time out of her schedule to make me a list. She then even gave me sandwiches, fruit, cereal and milk from her pantry to take with me, even though I didn't fit her 'profile.' Maybe I'm one of the lucky ones.

Nuns are nice. If you are desperate, go speak to a nun. Even if you are dirty and on drugs. Be humble. And they will help you at least for one day.

 

[sexualnapalm]

If only. Many times these organizations and agencies are poorly funded and not well supplied. This is in urban areas in the USA.

As for being resorceful, it gets harder and harder as time goes by to simply exist day to day while going from agency to agency looking for food, necessary toiletries, and even a place to stay that has warmth/safety.

In the USA, the saddest thing is, that the social servce projects/agencies that can help you are either 1, out of money; or 2, set up to only serve the lowest strata of society, so that once you get to a certain level, you are inelligible for the benefits, but still need help. Think of a person who makes $500 per week Gross, your monthly rent is $600+ for a 1 bedroom apartment, your utilities are $400+ with gas and electric, water, sewage, trash pickup and miscellaneous costs, Food is expensive, Where I live, a Gallon of milk costs about $3 US on average, and then there are miscellaneous living expenses like having a car, public transit, any bills/debt you owe. One can survive on that, I have for years. However, then if you have a crisis, such as job loss, an accident, anything out of the ordinary that causes expense, you're screwed. Add on any luxuries at all.....it's over. That's why some people are in debt up to their eyeballs.

Either way, you have a mess. Yes, many people's problems are compounded by and created by their own mistakes and patterns of behavior, but you cannot blame the victim.

Sometimes you can add having to take care of children or parents or other elderly relatives to this scenario. It makes that even harder, and living hand to mouth is just not a way to live. It's a way to get by, it's a way to survive and barely that.

 

[D_Natalie Attired]

well when i was younger see i came from a big family and my parents struggled a lot to keep a roof over our head and food on the table. it really made me appreciate things more!!!

 

[SprinkleMe69]

"so poor" hmmm...more like poor conditions as a kid under the "care" of an alcoholic father. One specific incident comes to mind. My dad always ate steak before he went back on the road as a trucker. I'd see him maybe 3 times a week if he chose to come home at all. Well there I was mid-week and no dad...no cereal, no milk, no noodles...nothing but 2 slices of bread and a pan of dried grease. I thought to myself, gravy over that bread. I look in the pan before I turn on the gas to heat it up. Rat tracks (feet) all over in it. A kid's gotta survive so yeah I made my gravy and put it over my bread. The other time was when I didn't see him for a week, no food in the house and the neighbors went shopping. When they were gone I took an open bag of chips and a pound of hamburger. He found out that I stole from them and I paid for it in the form of a beating. The adult me never lets my nephews and nieces go hungry. My past shapes how my babies are fed.

 

[B_lrgeggs]

While a person might not be able to afford steak,
The price of food today still seems to be reasonable.
There are food stamps and soup kitchens. There is
No need for a person to starve in the US. Now to
Buy gas and cigarettes...that has gone through the roof!

 

[helgaleena]

greggs, read the rest of this thread and try to answer again.

 

[Opalite]

I really don't like talking about it, but I have for quite a few years. From beeing a small kid - both my parents are (still) addicts - to beeing around 11/12/13 years old living on the streets. Still, I finished the highest level of education you can get here (our school system is a lot different from others), got my own place at around 15, traveled around the world, met the most amazing people, am respected in my industry and own my own business. I am 22 years old.

Sure, things are bound to get harder at times, but with enough passion in determination you get get wherever you want to be. And if thats what you need to keep telling yourself to get there, do so.

 

[SDSU_Nick]

Yes.

 

[Mem]

Thanks God my father always put food on the table growing up, and mom cooked it. :biggrin1: As an adult I'm lucky to never have to have gone hungry or eat food that I didn't want to. The only time I've been hungry is if I was on a diet.

 

[B_lrgeggs]

greggs, read the rest of this thread and try to answer again.

Read my post again and try to understand
My addition to this discussion.

 

[693987]

It can take a while to be approved for Food Stamps. It also is a lot more difficult when you're having to move around/homeless/don't have money for bus fare, much less a car.

 

[Mem]

If you are really hungry I would suggest standing outside of a fast food place and asking someone coming in to buy you something from the dollar menu. I bet a lot of people would sooner buy someone food rather than give money. I've bought people food before that way. When people ask for money I tell them that I'm broke too.

The worst are the people asking for money on the intersections, especially the ones with new looking clean clothing, at least put your old clothes on if you are gonna beg for money.