Going hungry in America: ‘Distressing,’ ‘humbling’ and ‘scary’
As grocery prices creep higher and her income sags, rationing her family's food is a daily task. The 54-year-old mother of three and grandmother of three in Roanoke, Va., says there are days she skips meals so her husband and son can eat. If they notice, she says, she'll let them think she's fasting. She waters down the milk and juice to make it last longer. She visits food pantries, but it's not enough.
"Who would think that in the land of plenty, hard-working families would go hungry? But I am living proof it is true," Preston writes in a first-person account for Yahoo!.
In the last three years, she hasn't been able to replace a $500 loss in monthly income. Her husband's job can't always guarantee 40 hours a week; his second job lasted only through Christmas. So mealtime suffers: nhl jersey youth Her family eats in one day what they used to eat at one meal. Often, they manage on a nearly barren cupboard for five or six days until the next pay day. They sometimes skip family gatherings at restaurants because they can't pay the tab.
"It is distressing," Preston writes.
"When you get a check for $250, and your basic needs require at least $400, you are already defeated. You can only cut back so much and then you have no choice but to do without. I long for the days when I could pay my bills on time, buy more than enough groceries and have money left over."
She's not alone. Eighteen percent of Americans say there have been times this year that they couldn't afford the food they needed, according to a Gallup poll released Tuesday. In particularly hard-hit regions of the United States, like the South, at least one in five didn't have enough money for food. In Preston's Virginia, 15.2 percent of state residents are affected. (See a full list.)
To put a face on hunger in America, 2012 usa basketball jersey Yahoo! asked readers and contributors to share their personal stories: Are they going hungry? How are they coping with higher food prices? Did they ever think they'd be in this position? Here are more personal stories shared with Yahoo! News this week.
Six years ago, Robert Watkins and his wife earned more than $100,000 combined. Groceries comprised 5 percent of their budget. They kept an emergency fund--good for three months' expenses--in a money market. Now, Watkins writes, they keep a "rainy day" jar of about $250 in assorted change by the bedside.
"If I had to travel to the market and buy groceries for dinner tonight, would I have the money to do so? The truth is, yes, I would," Watkins writes. "Yet it's strange to think that this is life in America today. Like tens of millions of other people in the United States, we look closely at an expenditure that we took for granted just a few years ago--the cost of food."
Seventeen months ago, cheap 2012 nike nba jersey Watkins was downsized from his job and while he works contractually and part-time, his income "pales in comparison" to two years ago. Couple their one-income family with inflated food prices, and their grocery budget is almost 10 percent of their net income.
At 46, he says "it's a humbling exercise."
To make due, they've taken advantage of living in a farming community in Lancaster, Pa. Fruits and veggies are affordable; there's plenty of corn on the cob, red potatoes, lettuce, and tomatoes. They create their own dressing and get water from a well. And they eat lots of pasta.
"Is it scary sometimes? You bet it is," Watkins writes. "However, it could always be a whole lot worse."
In Arizona, Jeremy Shapiro lives on a nutrition assistance program, receiving $50 a week for food. Cheap MLB jersey It's significantly altered his eating habits: less food, less often.
"I have reduced my portion sizes and meal frequency," he writes. "Creativity and flexibility is key."
Shaprio, 35, says he has always tried to eat healthy. When he was employed and food prices were more reasonable, it was easy. Now it's tricky with less money.
"I only shop sales. I hunt for online and paper ads and cut coupons. I also do not stock food unless it's extremely fiscally prudent," Shaprio writes.
That means no more fresh fruit; canned and concentrate must suffice. Only frozen chicken, beef and fish are affordable. Brand-name cereals are out. Milk must be on sale, and hormone-free varieties aren't "financially feasible." Generics and store brands have replaced Tillamook cheese, Boar's Head meats and Laura Scudder's peanut butter.
"One day, I will have gainful employment and afford more and better again," Shapiro writes. "However for today, National Soccer jersey I keep my head up and spirits high -- and body healthy -- as best I can."
Here's a taste of Tom Servo's bare-bones grocery list: A few bags of dried beans. Breakfast cereal of some kind -- usually whatever's on sale. A large canister of dried oats. Lots of bananas -- typically a few pounds. A bag of apples. Other miscellaneous fresh fruits and veggies -- whatever's in season and on sale.
