90 Replies to “Examining The Mechanisms Underpinning The Increased Demand For Food Banks In Affluent Societies: An Essay In 7 Words”

  1. I was told of a variety store owner who’s unbelievable stocking costs were only matched by his spectacular profits.
    The moral of the story is elect Gerard Kennedy for further Liberal redundancies by which criminals profit.
    The heart always bleeds red.

  3. Kinda funny when you think about it. Judas who dipped his hand into to Ministry funds wanted to sell the perfume and use the money for the poor. In response Jesus said “The poor you will alway have with you”.
    Being poor is not a sin it is a blessing and anyone who claims the ability to “abolish poverty” is suffering from a severe case of hubrus. We need to be wary of the demented anti poverty, social engineering being pushed as goodness incarnate.

  4. “If you build it, they will come.”
    Yes, particularly after 30 years of socialist propaganda has made Victimhood a badge of honor.
    I give money to the Canadian Warplane Heritage. They actually do something useful with it.

  6. I no longer give to the Food Bank…
    I have seen the abuse
    Not to mention doubted the numbers spewed within the industry!
    I give my time at the soup kitchen.
    Oh yeah…I am a Conservative
    I must be lying!

  7. The 06/07 Financials of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto make for interesting reading. Since we have a Press Corps in this country who can’t find a street address here are some interesting questions from a 5 minute look at the notes of the audited statements:
    Why do they have $4million in cash an increase of ~$1.3million over last year? They have a $1ooK “invested” in a wind turbine co-op. The funds were donated but investing in wind power is outside of their stated mandate why did they accept it?
    Why did salaries increase by $300K or 15% growth. Apparently poverty is a good business.

  8. In addition if the press could manage to count the staff listed on the site they could note there are 53 people employed at the Daily Bread Food Bank. With all the volunteers why so many paid staff? Hey reporters this isn’t rocket science just a quick look at the site raises questions.

  10. question I have
    is poverty/victumhood a career choice, for which you can get a college degrea, or is it a comunicable disease you contract while screwing the GP (that’s General Public)

  11. Wimpy Canadian: “the food requried by food banks was changing – mores beans and rice, due to the changing ethnic immigrant clientel.”
    At least the immigrants use the good basic food. Our home grown food bank clientele seem to require the instant serve stuff in plastic bags and tin cans.
    John West: “unlike humans, dogs and cats have few choices and no job opportunities.”
    You said it, John. And the cats and dogs were once part of somebody’s entitlement that didn’t include a commitment to long term care. That’s where a good part of our donations go too.
    batb:”It may come as a huge surprise to a lot of post-moderns, that most kids do best with a mom and a dad, and most families don’t live in poverty if there is a mom/dad/kids family.”
    I hope someday that there will be more thinking about this than just us here in the choir. But even if that happens, I don’t think Taliban Jackie and the rest of his cultural marxist fellow travelers will be among them.
    Lori:”Brilliant video from Quebec.”
    It is and in the tradition of Quebecois folklore. Having some still-living ancestors in the in-law family tree who come from this tradition, it is particularly appreciated. Thanks.

  12. Let us see,
    It seems that poverty can be eliminated singularly by the unfortunate people that live in poverty.
    Government, charities, do-gooders and others in the poverty industry, while well meaning, were not able in the past, are not able in the present – even if it makes them feel superior and good – and will not be able to do anything for the unfortunate in the future.
    It was mentioned that food banks were created by the unions or some such to embarrass the current government some years ago. Obviously, because the reason was wrong it has degenerated into a self-perpetuating industry.
    It would be interesting to see, if the food banks distributed only raw materials, would they be as popular?

  13. “You realize that the SA also operates and uses food banks, don’t you?”
    Yes indeed, I know that and it’s a real conundrum for me. I know that the money will be consumed by many who are not truly in need, but I enjoy shaking those bells and wishing people Merry Christmas.
    Our local Salvation Army has just completed a new ‘mens shelter’ right downtown, just a block from where our also new convention centre is being constructed. During the construction the SA posted a big sign calling it the ‘New Hope Centre’, but some jerk defaced the sign in order to call it the ‘No Hope Centre’.
    I’ve paid attention and note that unlike days of yore, when the SA mostly assisted older men, largely poor and alcoholic, their ‘clientele’ now are largely in their late 20’s, 30’s and 40’s – with most looking pretty healthy and bright.
    We also had a ‘breakfast club’ for the poor that used the facilities of our local Catholic Church. They operated for 21 years and were finally asked to find new premises because of the anti-social behaviors of their ‘clients’. Pissing against the church walls. Littering, particularly of needles. Profanity. Verbal Abuse. Ingratitude.
    After 21 years of hosting this ‘soup kitchen’, the Church was accused of being ‘un-Christan’, lacking in compassion and with a callous disregard for the most vulnerable.
    The thing I find worst about the left is their propensity to bite the hand that feeds when they’re not satisfied with the handout.

  14. “The thing I find worst about the left is their propensity to bite the hand that feeds when they’re not satisfied with the handout.”
    For your information, most farmers vote for the right.

  15. In Canada and the US obesity is linked to income – the lower the income the more obesity. Instead of food stamps it might make more sense to give gift certificates for personal trainers.

  16. “It would be interesting to see, if the food banks distributed only raw materials, would they be as popular?
    Posted by: Lev at December 21, 2007 11:27 PM”.
    EUREKA!!!

  17. I remember a transit strike in Vancouver and the TV crew interviewed a male pensioner. He bemoaned the fact that he couldn’t get the bus to his foodbank location each week. He also said I don’t need the food, I’ve got a good pension: he just went there for some social contact and of course took home his bag of food.

  18. My husband recently volunteered to hand out christmas hampers and food bags – he came home with interesting stories of the “type” of people who were driving up in their fancy cars – even a hummer.
    Of course – no one needs proof of their need – that would be against FOIP (freedom of information protection)- they can just drive up and pick up the free food and free gifts.
    He also made the observation that given the population of the area the organization covers – 1 out of every 4 people came to get hampers.
    My observation is that in our province, there are still people out of work, still people on welfare and still Help Wanted signs littering the streets, storefronts, neon signs,and the newspapers have columns dedicated to people looking for workers.
    In our province, with few exceptions, there should be very few people on welfare – of course Bingo Halls and Casinos are big business out here.
    Coincidence?

  19. I wonder if the 900,000 allegedly served by the Toronto Food Bank system simply means that 900,000 bags of food were distributed. In other words, if I went there weekly, i would be counted 52 times.

  20. Kate , good post.
    I am the administrator of a charitable organization in a small town 15000 or so. The article you linked us to was very interesting. We have a client list of approx 500. this reflects the client list of our local provincially run welfare system. All of these people recieve enough for rent and food (if the spend it right). The reasoning that the vast majority of these people is …depending on howmuch I can get from local churches, fuel banks, food banks etc. the more of my check I can spend on my addictions. Of the 30 or so people we interview a month, only 1 or 2 are actually “poor”. The real poor don’t come to us because the are truly humble and make do with what they have.
    Our gov’t system / foodbanks merely support addictions. This is a reality! They actually train people to become proffesional victims.
    As a result our staff meetings usually produce this very conversation. Whwn we presure someone to make changes, they simply by pass what we have to offer in the way of what we offer as councilling and money managing skills. This is a small town so these suspicions are always verified by talking to people the personnally know our clients.
    Every month we make changes in our policies that will sort these people out. You would not believe the effort these people put into getting the free stuff. In talking to other churches I have found out that these people will phone all these organizeationns daily!
    This is a systemic problem and is result of poorly thought out and run gov’t agencies that train people to abuse the system.

  22. Consider also that some of the major sources of supply for food banks are those grocery stores (like Sobey’s) and other food suppliers who can off-load unsold or unsaleable stock as charitable donations. They are under less pressure, then, to reduce prices in their stores.
    In fact, you may recall that Sobey’s sparked a controversy in the Maritimes by announcing that it would no longer put out day-old baked goods at lower prices. This was met by an angry reaction from pensioners, (followed by anti-poverty “activists”, who were able to get the story into the media), Scotsmen, eccentric professors, and the like.

  23. Oh ya I forgot to mention, if you are a addict (crack especially) you can figure all variety of ways to get money. One popular way is to get groceries from the food bank and sell them for money. One hit is about 25 dollars in this town. Christmas presents are also sold and traded. Another thing that happens is that the dealers will give a free hit to someone that they know will receive a well fare check the next day. Another thing that is done is the dealer will actually fudge the rent receipt, provide a free room and that way the addict will buy drugs directly from the land lord. Addictions are usually always in the picture of those who are professional victims.

  24. Our firm & employees used to sponsor a family at Christmas. Only once did we ever receive a note of thanks from a sponsored family. That card stayed posted for a long time. I had commented to the social worker that, although we didn’t want to know the identity of the family, after all the time, effort and money donated, it would be nice to know the family’s reaction. After all, when someone gives you a gift, don’t you usually say “thank you”?
    One year, we even had a sponsored family member call our office complaining that she hadn’t received everything she had requested! Our receptionist was sputtering with indignation.
    The first year we ever sponsored a family, the organizers went berserk. They outfitted the kids with snowsuits, boots, etc., toys, groceries. When I pointed out that we were going overboard and that family was going to have a better Christmas than most of our employees could afford, I was derided as a grinch, mean, blah blah blah. Although a note from Mom describing the kids’ reactions Christmas morning, would have been nice, not a peep.
    Listening to radio & TV & reading the Ottawa Citizen, one gets the impression that there are thousands of families in the Ottawa area that are down and out. OTOH, I’m tempted to get in the lineup myself – after all, if they’re handing out free food & gifts, why bother doing it yourself.
    My annual Christmas joke to my family is that instead of going to all the bother of cooking and cleaning, let’s instead all turn up at one of the charity dinners where we can be waited on and not have to do the dishes after!

  25. In these times complete eradication of our welfare systems needs to be considered. In no way today do the demographics and attitudes of the public reflect the intent of the originators of this failed system.
    The return of wasted tax dollars feeding the parasites of society should be returned to the rightful owners as full products of their labor. If the delusional left wishes to continue to buy their way into heaven, let them use their own money through private charitable donations.
    This would be the first step in helping family’s work through their problems without the easy way out – on societies back. Canada should be building character not beggars though the pride of accomplishment. Far fewer single parent families would result with far less teen pregnancies.
    Yes of course far less professional third world beggars would be knocking on our door as a result. What a shame?
    If the mentally dysfunctional left cares to use their own families wealth to save the poor, by all means, no ones stopping you. Stay away from mine! I’ll choose when, where and with whom the product of my labors needs to be allocated!
    As a result of the theft of our tax dollars through the incompetent management of our funds and the leaching of these dollars by the parasitic criminals infesting all aspects of Canadian society and abroad, Canadians should avoid all chartable donations until the system is truly overhauled or dismantled.

  26. @Knight 99:
    Please consider the possibility that you’re trying to put the genie back in the bottle. Entitlement mentalities don’t go away: people who have them tend to be terribly sincere when stating that they’re “entitled to their entitlements.”
    If I’m right on this one, the result of abolishing the welfare system would be more professional beggars, not fewer. They’d just take their entitlement mentality “to the streets,” as it were.
    In addition, the establishment of the welfare system was sold, if not justified, as a way of keeping the “bums off the street.” By this metric, it hasn’t been a perfect success but it had contributed to a reduction. If you add the entitlement mentality factor, what you’ll have are a bunch of people who will have absolutely no compunctions about, say, appropriating “a piece of the park” for their living space.
    Furthermore, Canadians tended to be far more voluntarily generous before the welfare system was put into place. This generosity expressed itself back in the day when entitlement mentalities amongst the poor were largely absent. Now that entitlement mentalities are all over the place, us Canadians are likely to be less generous out of fear of getting suckered…yet again.
    What this adds up to is that the welfare system will stay in place until the welfare circuit becomes ill-behaved enough to make a leap into the dark unknown preferable to the then-darker known. The “devil we know” has to reach the point of general insufferability before such a step would be taken.
    If your questioning takes root, the most likely reform would be the conversion of the workfare requirement into a full-blown Civilian-Conservation-Corps-style system. In other words, tree-planting for food and shelter (plus a little extra.)

  27. Daniel M. Ryan:
    Your points are well made, although I don’t necessarily agree. Unfortunately/ fortunately my comments and thoughts are based on my own life experience and understanding of the system from the viewpoint of a giver not a recipient.
    1) ..”trying to put the genie back in the bottle”…………
    My understanding was that our welfare system was an extension of an older British welfare state system and absorbed by Canadian legislation as a matter of course? Please excuse my ignorance if this was not the case. (I’ll make a point of looking into it later).
    2) ..”They’d just take their entitlement mentality “to the streets,” as it were.”………….
    For me this isn’t a problem because I sincerely believe that most people when faced with the prospect of getting a job or starvation tend to choose to eat. Sure some will resort to crime, but how many are resorting to crime now anyway?
    3) ..”Entitlement mentalities don’t go away: people who have them tend to be terribly sincere when stating that they’re “entitled to their entitlements.”………………
    Of this I don’t doubt your point at all. But I think it’s high time to change this mentality of welfare as an entitlement by removing it entirely.
    I also agree fully with some kind of work to eat program, at least give something of value to society for defending your “right to live” which in reality is really a bit of a farce if you believe in natural selection.
    I don’t doubt at all that Canadian’s would be more generous with a “helping hand” if they felt those those they were helping were sincerely trying to improve their lives and the community’s health. My over all objections is aimed at the misplaced tolerance for the takers and destroyers of our societies that are overwhelming our communities without regard.

  28. Knight 99 “My over all objections is aimed at the misplaced tolerance for the takers and destroyers of our societies that are overwhelming our communities without regard.”
    Do you mean the users of the system in place now?

  29. woodcutter >
    Yes……… The comment was also a little tongue and cheek stab at the broader range of assaults on our western societies and dysfunctional systems originally designed to aid the descendents of the founders from another era.
    Just a wild stab at speculation: If the originators of the welfare state had a crystal ball and could see the future use of their systems as they are “abused” today, (and by whom) would they have bothered?

  30. Once I had some uninformed opinions about all welfare types being lazy, etc. Then I became a landlord and one of my new tenants just acquired her third landlord without having moved. Watching her situation over the years was an education.
    Speaking of education, she maybe had high school graduation and no real job skills when her husband disappeared leaving her with five children. Welfare was the only realistic economic option for her to provide for herself and her family.
    Once the kids got old enough to be on their own she used the training grants she could get and trained as a nurse and then went to work to support herself and the one kid left at home.

  31. Paul A>
    That’s a great story and I applaud the woman you mentioned for her strength. It’s her bum of a husband I object too.
    I have a brother in law who has a good union job owns five properties (homes + land) all of which he rents out with his long-term girlfriend who doesn’t work. They have adopted 3 or 4 foster children now collecting the entitlements of that, all the while making their monthly trips to the food bank. You can catch them out on the lake anytime during the summer on his jet boat that is in turn is hauled by his corvette or 4×4. In the winter after the horses are well fed, they zip around the countryside on their skidoos or Quads (whatever the day calls for). Unfortunately I only know the details today through second hand hearsay as I stopped speaking with them about 8 years ago.
    My comments or objections are in no way intended to reflect on the truly needy whether mentally impaired, disabled, chronically ill or simply caught off guard………………….

  32. Hamilton has a food bank serving some 20,000 clients.
    its off upper queens I believe, going by the delicate and sensitive name of Neighbor To Neighbor.
    most of the vehicles that pulled in the driveway when I was consolidating and setting up cross reference system for their database were in better shape than mine.
    some people pulled in driving the popular and costly minivans. I joked with the other volunteers thats why they had to go to a food bank paying for the transportation to get there.

  33. Knight 99 …In our last group meeting, one of the things we talked about was the fact that if anyone receives help from us there would be conditions attached to the help. ex…must attend AA meetings, must register with addictions services, etc.etc. Do you think this would be a viable solution. The chances of dismantling the welfare system are pretty much non-existent. I would love to know the solution. Personally I think I would flat-out refuse to help the abusers, but they are very skillful at making you feel sorry for them.

  34. Thanks for the response, knight 99. Factually, you’re probably right – in fact, you’re more likely to be right than I was. By “putting the genie back in the bottle,” I meant that you seemed to have the hope that the associated entitlement mentalities will disappear once the welfare has gone. From what I’ve seen of the holders of them, that won’t happen. They’ll just take it elsewhere.
    One possible unintended consequence would be a push towards the “open job offer” plan floated by a American neo-liberal around 1990 or so. That measure would require the government to hire anyone who shows up asking for a job, without option of refusal. Any such push would have, as a secondary demand, payment of the minimum wage or close to. Because government workers have certain (established) claims too, such a program may wind up being a de facto welfare program…with a de facto upping of the rates.
    [If you’re interested, the tree-planting idea wouldn’t be subject to those prior claims because the tree-planting industry is: a) not unionized, and b) pays piecework rates. The unions and workers’-advocacy groups have no dog in the fight there.]
    A side note: Your brother-in-law is one of those hard workers who might as well enjoy what he has earned.

  35. Woodcutter > (apologies this is quite long – it just happens)
    Again I don’t profess to be an expert on the welfare matter so in no way could offer an expert solution. My comments are made based on my own gut feelings, sensibilities and sense of fair play. That’s what makes these discussion forums a great thing in our era, allowing otherwise diverse and separated citizens to share their knowledge and viewpoints concerning issues in our mutual backyard and learn from them.
    My personal belief is that the existing welfare systems throughout the western nations are failing miserably and that the quality of our lifestyle is declining at an ever-increasing rate. More and more addicts infest our societies…
    *Footnote (My middle aged uncle just passed away 2 years ago from a heroin overdose, leaving behind 4 teen children after surviving on welfare his entire adult life).
    …along with a systems of ghetto’s, increasing poverty and third world abuse unraveling the fabric of the US and European societies to a developing nation status. I’m not suggesting that this failure of society is welfares fault, I am suggesting that in the 50 years or so of steady decline is not at all helped by welfare but is stimulated by it. We’ve all clearly witnessed this decline – simply look at the education levels, crime rates and increasing poverty. It’s a matter of whether or not we choose accept what we see with our own eye’s or believe in the delusion that everything will sort itself out in it’s own good time.
    My belief is that once these societies are gone (I mean that in the sense of helplessness) no one is going to come to anyone’s aid or have the capability if they wanted or cared to. We need to maintain our strengths as a society to have that capability, and not bury our heads in the sand as the problems grow and in the end nothing is left.
    To answer your question more directly
    “must attend AA meetings, must register with addictions services, etc.etc. Do you think this would be a viable solution”.
    Yes of course I do. Anytime we encourage people to help themselves in order to help society whether or not it boils down to the bribery of aid – is a step in the right direction. I do not believe that any society benefits from handouts to useless parasites that grow dependant on a free ride. If we do not stand up against the enemies of our way of life we are nothing but lambs awaiting slaughter and the wolves are disguised in multiple cloaks within and outside of our society. They the wolves in any disguise take advantage of our greatest weakness – our unbridled and unconditional generosity unchecked with common sense or a common purpose of survival. We as a society have learned to live in a delusion of where we are, where the remaining world is, and who they believe we are. We’ve lost our common sense and the ability to look at reason reasonably. In a sense we’ve become our own worst enemy and will pay the greatest price in the long term.

  36. Thanks, Knight 99
    On the other hand I once had a welfare tenant with two kids while the father of the second officially lived a block or so away. He only worked enough to collect UI (it’s an old story, plus I object to the re-branding as ‘EI’), but between the two they had a pretty good income.
    At the time my job was a union one in the BC forest industry and the union brain trust had taken us on strike to help the employers reduce an inventory surplus. We’ve always lived cheaply so we weren’t going to starve, but cash was a bit tight. My daughter asked if I could get her a new inner tube for her bike tire and I said I probably could, but I had to think about it. Then I walked around the corner and worked like an expletive in the hot sun to put a lawn in the rental house while this guy sat on the steps sipping a cold one and his kid rode up and down the sidewalk with his new bike. I was quite discouraged that evening, but managed to buy the inner tube the next day and seventeen years of landlording contributed to us being able to retire eight years early and avoid the Canadian winters six months a year. The SK 20 below when we get back is still a bitter pill each April, but it doesn’t last that long.
    In the South we have worked with a few organizations that hand out food to the ‘needy’. Some are more needy than others.
    One weekend, last winter, near Houston, Texas I helped direct the parking of cars for an event that handed out free food and toys to about 5,000 people. Some of the people got rides there in junkers. Others came in Cadillac Escalades, but every one of them sat through a message of hope that every person needs to hear.
    This week in Mexico we helped with a group to hand out over a 1,000 gift bags with a few items in them. Some of the people didn’t need them, for some of them that is the only Christmas gift they will see.
    On Friday we will be helping with a group that will feed chicken and beans to over 5,000 people in Matamoros, Mexico. Again, some people will show up driving SUV’s and others will get the only good meal they will have all week. Every one has a need to hear the message of God’s love for them and that he sent Christ to earth as a baby and then sent Him to the cross as a sacrifice to deliver each of us from our deserved punishment.
    On that note I’ll close with a Merry Christmas to all.

  37. Daniel M. Ryan >
    Agreed, I believe the letter above covers my thoughts on the matter. Obviously to me any kind of solution that involves capable people pulling their own weight if even a little is worth exploring.
    I do think you may have misinterpreted my intentions with my brother in-law story. These are not kind or generous people, but rather selfish miserable one’s who exploit any opportunity without conscience. I’m not saying they participate in illegal activities but rather unpalatable ones such as legally abusing a system based on good intent for their own miserable gains.
    In all fairness to my bother in-law who comes from a poor working class family, simply tends to go along for the ride. In reality it’s his girlfriend who pulls all the stings and who comes from a generational welfare family. Anyway………………

  38. Merry Christmas Paul A.
    Your story bares the success through trial of all that we hold dear as westerners. Good luck and continued good fortune.

  39. Knight 99 , Thanks for the reply. I agree 100%. I am employed by my parish to serve to poor, the sick and the prisoners. As a result I had to be on the job for some 6 months before I was able to see clearly the abuses taking place. I appreciate your words as I end my days at work drained and discouraged. These bottom dwellers can smell a handout about fifty miles away. As the days go buy I become more sure that perpetuating this failing welfare system is not the answer. It may mean we need to retrain these people as some of their behaviors are so ingrained the they do not even know that there is another way. Some have learned the techniques from their parents. Pray for me as I try to figure this out on a daily bases.
    Christmas Blessings to you.

  40. Merry Christmas Woodcutter,
    You and your endeavors are in our prayers…………have a good 2008.

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