"What To Do Right Now If You're Broke, And In Need"

This is one folks may want to look into.

Angel Food Ministries

These folks buy food in bulk and make it availiable to the public at cut rate prices, you can type in your zip code and locate a distribution center nearest you. They have food boxes for around 30 usd and the boxees should feed 4 folks for one week. They have several types of boxes and thier menu changes every month. So if you are on a limited budget I reccomend folks check it out. You might get a bit of scripture with each box but to me thats not a big deal if someone is truley in need.

1. Be or become good at more than one thing.
2. Live in reality---seriously. Nothing drives me nuts more than a family with a new house, new car, cell phones and cable tv on a large screen on food stamps.
3. Realize you are only a commodity and can be replaced at any time if you work for someone else.
4. If you think that edumacation you have makes some work beneath you, you may go hungry.
5. A house is just a house, it's the people that make it a home---move to where the jobs are.
6. Don't be ashamed to ask for TEMPORARY assistance, but never depend on it.
7. There is no such thing as a free lunch, neither can you become a millionaire by sending $19.95 to that slick guy on late night adverts, stuffing envelopes or assembling parts, MLM, or buying property with no money down.
8. You never own anything you charge on plastic or paper, as the payments go on forever. You will still be paying for it long after it is gone.
9. A job is a job, if you don't like it, change it, if you can't change it---well that's why it's called "a job" and not a vacation.
10. Be thankful for what you have, not bitter for what you don't.

Sound a bit harsh?
Well, maybe it is a bit. But I have never been unemployed for longer than it took me to travel to another job, avoided credit cards and personal loans like the plague, and own everything I have---a bank or creditor doesn't.
And yes, I accomplished it while raising a family. Though sometimes we were not well off at all. I have financed cars (one at a time) and houses (one at a time) all with large down payments and paid off many years before they were due.

Am I wealthy?----not hardly, just middle class---barely.
But without a couple thousand $$ in house and car and credit card payments due every month, I think we live comfortably enough.
If everything were to go totally bad, I would still be employed somewhere, as I have made it a point to be at least capable in many areas of employment, and given even minimum wage part time work, as I owe no one revolving debt, at least something would be on the table to eat, and the electricity would stay on.

If you actually have some genuine determination then you can find work. fact.

Theres meant to be some kind of recession going on over here in the UK right now where millions of households are out of work, Well I have no particular qualifications of any kind or any specific skills that Would help me get a job, yet I have 2, nicely paid, respectable jobs.

If you have determination and motivation I can't see there being to much else to it. To get money off the government here you need only show that you have applied for 3, yes 3 jobs per week. This is absurd, When I began job hunting I was applying for roughly 30 a day and hence why I landed 2 of them.

Also not watching the news or reading the papers/magazines and staying pretty much detached from mainstream media will help greatly too. Just read books.


[edit on 1-9-2009 by bonsaisert]

Originally posted by Ha`la`tha
reply to post by sanchoearlyjones

 

Argh what a shame - looked good till I hit this block in the path.. ;/

7. Put your problems, needs and guilt into the hands of the Lord

Taints it for me, still some seemed good advice!

S&F anyway.

As much as I am allergic to Bible related things, the advice actually means to let go sometimes. You can't fix it all. I think in terms of the Universe and I see it often as the Tarot card The World out of the Crowley deck. I like that picture, could be anything for somebody else.

These are indeed hard times, not so much in my country. And I have a job and some savings. But then again I live quite frugal.

I wanted to start a thread about frugality, I might do it.

Thanks to the OP for handing over info that might be just what some people here in the US needed.

ok last year we had an ice storm and the power was off for 3 days there fore we lost our grocerys in the fridge and deep freeze being disabled and still currently fighting the V.A. AND ssi admin. times are and were tough ! we were low on food and funds for the rest of the month ! except for a couple of cases of M.R.E.'S . so heres the jist of my story in my area the food pantrys only will help if you apply for welfare believe me we tried to get foodstamps but the wife makes 22.000 a year so of course we diddnt qualify ! we were turned away in a time of need because we dont fit the little picture our charities consider in need ! all i really have to say ! were all on our own (tax payers)! except welfare queens illeagal immigrants and vagrants ! IM A VETERAN OF 2 WARS and need help ! we pay our bills we vote democrat and its a cryin shame the people who worked all there lives and lived and served this country cant get some help ! like i said were all on our own ! apologies im ranting like a conservative (yuk) but alot of us are falling through the cracks of a broken america !

reply to post by gotrox


you said it better than i did thanx !

You had an ice storm and lost your refrigerated food?
You are kidding, right?
With all that ice?
Your food got spoiled?
In 3 days?

"we pay our bills we vote democrat and its a cryin shame the people who worked all there lives and lived and served this country cant get some help ! like i said were all on our own"

I hope you learned a valuable truth.
You are always on your own, and many don't have a couple cases of MRE's to hold them for 3 days.

BTW, we lost power for a week in summer, and our freezer held just fine as long as THE DOOR IS CLOSED!

reply to post by bonsaisert


So it takes determination to put 100 pegs in 50 holes? That's a metaphore I also have a job, no financial problems, savings. But I refrain from the arrogance of assuming the peg example just because I got off scot free. Yes there is a lot of overconsuming and trying to outbuy the Jones. This is the world now.

I might just need somewhere in the future unemployment benefits and yes I am going to take them. I pay taxes and part are now used for people who need it.

We live in a consumer driven world or might I say consuming driven. Can we all really envision a world void of this?

I get by very well on working 3 days because I value my time and life and don't need to get all the lastest. I am fine with renting a small place, even though peer pressure wants me to believe I should have bought a home by now. Everything in this world is defined by purchase, I have been lucky enough to see through this a long time ago.

reply to post by QueenofWeird

You are assuming that there will be benefits available, and only working 3 days a week might not qualify.
Also, taxes don't pay unemployment, your employer pays for it---for eligible workers, to the state to pay out.
If your state is broke, there may be nothing left for them to pay out, even to those eligible.
Not condemning a spartan lifestyle at all---living within your means is a smart way to live, but assuming any help from government agencies---state or federal---is a risky endeavor.
Just ask the people in New Orleans.

Sharing what little you may have with strangers is honorable, but sharing with friends and neighbors is smarter---they tend to stick around longer.

reply to post by QueenofWeird


I know people that moan and complain about unemployment, they believe they have no prospects because that's the way they're made to feel. This spirals into an ever growing unemployment problem as it is. Then there are those with skills and qualifications that cannot find work because they have no experience and in some cases are unprepared; even after attending university and attaining a degree.

Luck has played no part in what I'm currently doing, I'm trying to set an example here. I'm not special and if you knew me personally you'd certainly know I'm not lucky, but I worked damn hard to get what I have at my age. I can only speak from my experience from within the UK but it seems people here just need to get up off there lazy arses & get a move on.

"It's a dog-eat-dog world... & I've got bigger teeth than you"

An excellent post sancho,not knowing where to turn in desperate times,could force many to take the easy route and steal, which is an option to be fed,an empty stomach don,t always think rationally.

The possible difficult times ahead with the recession looming, will push these organisations to the limit,so maybe more of those who have been helped will help others, and so make those that are alone part of a bigger family.
Do you notice the changes of attitude that was prophesied (enlightenment)before 2012 is actually occurring here on this site.
if true this will be noticed around us where ever we are,so keep watching,

reply to post by bonsaisert

I have to disagree. Jobs depend on location. I know several people who are pounding the pavement from sunup to sun down. Many interviews but no job.
I don't know how it is in other states but here in California, but minimum wage jobs rarely give you more than 20 hours a week and they refuse to give you a set schedule making it almost impossible to hold down 2 jobs at once. I was constantly fighting the schedule battle, I would tell one boss, I have to work such and such days at my other job, and they would schedule me for those days any ways, then the next week it would be the other employer who would do that. Another job that I held I let them know at the interview I could not work before 7:30am because I had 3 young children that were to young to trust them to get out to the buss for school on their own with out me being there. At first my boss agreed but after a few weeks working there, he started putting me on the schedule for opening shift When I told him I couldn't be in that early because had no one to make sure my kids got on the buss he told me if I wasn't there he was going to assume I quit! `I had a good paying job with a bachelors in psychology but with all the mental health budget cuts and the closing of the hospital that I worked at it rendered my degree useless in my area. I'd move in a heart beat but moving takes money and you have to be able to make enough money to move.
Laziness is not the problem for a good chunk of people right now. Some of the hardest working people are the ones having the hardest time finding work. So don't anyone tell me its a laziness problem. The only jobs that are beneath me are drug dealing and prostitution.
Sorry for the rant on Sanchos wonderful thread. Which is very much appreciated. That just struck a nerve.

edited for spelling and grammar sorry if i didn't catch it all, middle of the night insomnia thing going on here.



[edit on 1-9-2009 by calstorm]

Originally posted by sanchoearlyjones
First off there is no shame in reaching out; anyone who thinks there is in receiving, or in giving; I don't have any use for You.

There is an appropriate and functional moral shame in welfare dependence (both public and private). If it were not so then charity would be subject to the tragedy of the commons, in the same way the tax pool is.

One's pride is hurt by becoming welfare dependent, and this is a valid moral function: One is essentially declaring that for all intents and purposes, one cannot provide for one's self in the market, and therefore needs others to provide for him. There can be no pride in this; at best one's pride is hurt, at worst it is lost completely.

Individuals should consider the psychological and emotional reduction in quality of life that follows from admitting defeat in monetary matters of self maintenance; Only due to circumstances beyond one's control is this generally acceptable.

Remember: Money will not bring you happiness. Only productive and virtuous occupation will.

This surely is a sign of modern times.

You have an ICE storm, and lose your FROZEN goods due to it.

We only get heat waves down here where I live.. Gosh I wish we had freezing weather to appreciate the heat...

Originally posted by astronut68
ok last year we had an ice storm and the power was off for 3 days there fore we lost our grocerys in the fridge and deep freeze being disabled and still currently fighting the V.A. AND ssi admin.

Very cool of you to post something like this.
S+F

Great thread sancho. I was between jobs as a construction project manager. My uncle told me that during the depression in pittsburg, he would drive through alleys with new stair treads looking for steps that needed repairing. He would knock on the door offering to repair the stairs for a very modest sum. 2 out of 3 customers had more work at better margins.

I put on clean clothes and knocked on many doors. I got about 1 in 25 response for quotes and 1 in 3 gave me work. One of the jobs was $3,000!

My favorite part of the thread is that this has nothing to do with the govt.

I find it unfortunate that you insult the faith based charities by refering to them as "slavery." I think you will find there is no quid pro quo with the donations.

My church, annunciation greek orthodox cathedral offers free food to anyone humble enough to ask with no strings or proselytizing. We are not looking for converts to fill the coffers. It is the right thing to do and that is the pay off in and of itself.

God bless you brother for this thread and have a great day!

Good lookin out for people. YOU are an awesome...underwear model...lol.
hopefully this will help at least 1 person. I know I will direct people to it, that may be in need...thank you!

Sometimes 'music' sais it best:

Nobody does it better.

We have all the time in the world.

You only Live twice.

For your Eyes only.

You've probably heard the rest though no need to post 'here'.
It's written in stone.
The Sword was Allegory (click here)

Diamonds are forever.

The Key of Life
is Not for Sale though one's Thread
is 'dependent' on it's Key.
The combination; E=Pure Love

Is One's Soul, one's Being not 'empowered' and strenthened by the Act of Love? Truth really needs no interpreter, it Is.
In the E-nd, the E-mperor is always found to wear No clothes, only a cloak to unto His Being. May One not fail themself in their End.

Sometimes movies are more than is Seen or heard.
Who was or rather Is 00-7, it wasn't 'my' Form.
It IS- what it -IS.
Did the people Listen?
Did they Act?
Do they know?


[edit on 1-9-2009 by Perseus Apex]

Having been on both ends of giving, let me assure you those who are doing the giving are getting as much out of it as the receiver. When I worked at a food pantry to see the appreciation on the faces of people and hear their heartfelt thanks.

It made it easier for me when my short term disability ran out and I was waiting and waiting for my long term Social Security to kick in. Me and the kids would have starved if not for these sorts of agencies.

Pride is a good thing, arrogance is not. There is no true shame in reaching out for help, you always have the opportunity to give back once you are on your feet. I regularly participate in food drives for local food banks, it makes me feel really good.