Families Struggle to Buy Bare Essentials

Families Struggle to Buy Bare Essentials


SACRAMENTO, CA - Most of those who depend on The Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services are the working poor. The tough economy is making it harder for many to stretch their dollar for basic necessities.

The fear of being homeless again brings 12-year-old LaTisha Collins to tears. Life on the streets is a reminder that she is not like the other girls at her school.

"They just care about nice shoes and skinny jeans," said Collins.

Her mother, Carmen, works two part-time jobs: folding laundry and at Little Caesars Pizza. They have a roof over their heads but money is tight.

"My check ends up being $400 each from both jobs," said Carmen.

The family's wish list consists of everyday household items like lotion, body soap, toothpaste and toilet paper. The single mother finds ways to make things like toothbrushes last longer.

http://www.news10.net/news/story.aspx?storyid=72459&catid=2

Some comments from the link:

onlytruth19 wrote:
If you are on public assistance or if you are accepting donations, you should be buying and receiving essentials. If you are accepting frivolous gifts, you are teaching your children to become beggars. You should be teaching them to work and work harder. You should be teaching them that if they can't afford it, THEY CAN'T HAVE IT. Eveyone should be teaching their children that--poor, rich, or otherwise. Perhaps if they did, we wouldn't have so many people destroyed by credit.

onlytruth19 wrote:
Ha ha. I am far from awful. You sound like a regular Mother Theresa giving a computer to a poor family. Do you also foot their internet bill? Cell phone bill? Nintendo DSs? Trust me, I would never be in this situation. And, for you nay sayers, if I was, I would not be accepting frivolous gifts. I'd be ashamed to accept anything other than what my family NEEDED.

fedupshaz wrote:
mattydread noone is blaming the children for wanting this stuff all we are saying is this is the wrong thing for society to promote. Many of the adults that bought the expensive homes have lost their life savings when they lost their homes, that contributed to many of the other problems like divorce and homelessness. So the thing is learn to live within your means people. America is the last country where one should be asking for handouts, I have lived in countries w/out any welfare system, you want to see NEEDY go there.

User Image
mattydread wrote:
onlytruth19...i know what you're saying..we had a tree here and I was blown away about kids wanting playstations, etc. but the kids see what other kids have and see the same marketing and ads all the rest of see and think that everyone (they included) should have it.

look at what adults have done lately. buying houses and cars they can't afford for the same reasons.

i am a republican and don't believe in handouts and welfare, and if this woman is working she is trying and is probably just as shocked at the taxes getting taken out of her paycheck as I am with mine.

i have no problem helping those who are trying to help themselves. don't try to guess or assume where that nintendo came from...you'd be surprised at what gets donated to people these days. i've seen misguided people with good intentions give 50 inch plasma tv's to people...i'd be careful making judgments on these sort of things...

.....

assholes abound.

Things that were $1.00 a year ago are $1.62 now. Rich people don't care about price, they only care about availability of
whatever it is they want. Families that get food stamps don't really realize what's happening, either. But people who live
on a limited income that's just a tad too high to qualify for food stamps know damn well what is happening and it's frightening.

Obama has indirectly called for CUTTING SS benefits when they should be RAISED. Food, housing, utilities: the Big Three. Guess
what's NOT included in cost of living adjustments and the gov's definition of inflation?

I voted for change, but not for a change for the worse.

I'm only aware of him increasing food stamps, college benefits, unemployment and energy assistance; as well as putting money into low income housing renovation and weatherization programs.

What are you twisting around now.

I am in shock every week at the supermarket. I try to use $20 for stock items -- stuff on sale/clearance, canned etc. that I can use to stock up for lean weeks but it is harder and harder to work that in my weekly food budget as the necessaries override the stock list. The money has to come from somewhere else in the budget.

:eyes:

judging from those comments. These are the same people who scream that the govt is taking away their Medicare. Merry Christmas Indeed!