Working poor need help

Karen Stumbaugh (12/7, Letters, “Hungry during the holidays”) is correct that Harvesters and its network of agencies serve the “unemployed, elderly, disabled” and “extremely poor” in Greater Kansas City. But we are also seeing an increasing number of working poor families at our doors.

In fact, nearly half (48 percent) of those turning to Harvesters’ network for emergency food assistance have at least one adult in the household who is working. With stagnant wages and rising costs for everything from food to gasoline to utilities, more of the working poor need help to get by.

Assuming that an individual who has a job cannot be in need is naïve. Many households are just one or two paychecks away from needing assistance themselves. A hospitalization or a car repair can put a struggling family in a food pantry line.

Further constricting the definition of “need” and turning away working families during hard economic times may keep our shelves fuller, but our hearts will be emptier.

Karen Haren
President and CEO of Harvesters
Kansas City

Comments

[BuddyT]

Ewwww, what a shot Jack...eww, lmao....

BuddyT

[NoMoreMrNiceGuy]

Hmm...let's see do I burn a buck fiddy on the LeBron's or buy some grub?

[jack]

As ssual, Buddy T attacks anyone who disagrees with him.

A bully is as a bully does.

[BuddyT]

As usual Blanko, you missed the enitire point nimrod.....

THose damned whiners who gather and give food to those who might otherwise go hungry. How dare they speak in public!

I would bring into play the fact that the married middle class is punished and typically does not qualify for assistance.
The system advocates ands rewards "single parent" syndrome. Also if you earn less than $25k combined income in Missouri, they give you back a large percentage of your property taxation, if you make more than that they punish you. Most middle class Americans are screwed if something unforeseen happens, the dept of socialist service will not help you unless you asign your life over to them.

[BuddyT]

Because I get sick and tired of hearing that this great nation is filled, yes filled with people "one paycheck from poverty". It is simply ridiculous. There are alawys people in need, always. Lets just not get carried away with the numbers of those who are.

It was claimed one time in the 80's that there were 3 million homeless! The most that could ever be verifed was not even a tenth of that number.

It is a politically motivated agenda to bad mouth this country, and I for one will not belly up to the bar and swallow all that heifer dust when it is easily contradicted.
BuddyT

[T. Hanson]

Buddy,
Did you not have enough electricity for the coffee pot this morning? I think Karen was just simply just pointing out that a lot of people are living one paycheck to paycheck. If anything it is just a word of caution.
You said yourself that you donate to those that are in need. Why are you bad mouthing those that help lead the help for others?

Karen's letter is proudly published by the falling Star because see we are all one step away for the soup line. Amazing.

The Conference Board on Nov 8th annouced that discretionery income for US consumers grew to a record high going into the fourth quarter of 2007. 73 million households, or 64%, have 1.7 trillion dollars at their disposal, up from 52% and 1.2 Trillion in 2002.

Unemployment is a 4.7%. The GDP grew by 3.9 per cent in the third quarter. Productivity was up by 4.9% in the third quarter, and on, and on...

Karen needs to take off her blinders and look beyond her own little world before making such grandiose statements that we are all on the verge of starvation. I get a little sick of whiners like Karen, particularly when they have nothing to whine about. Whew, boy do I feel better!

BuddyT