Dear Editor:
The main topic I want to discuss in this letter is about the different organizations that give food to the needy. There are some churches like I used to get food from, The Assembly of God Church but there is a catch – you have to go to church to get free food. I think that policy is wrong.
Like when I used to live on Adams St. and I went to Palisades Food Pantry, and I told them where I lived and they said you are out of the district for free food and that is wrong too. I don’t think any church should refuse you if you do not attend churches for any reason. It is like the carrot effect; they hold a carrot over your head and sometimes they give you food and sometimes they don’t give you food. That too is wrong.
Here is another source, food stamps. In September I had a home visit to continue receiving food stamps, and when food stamps did not contact me about a home visit I was going to give them up because I was only getting $10, and with the price of food it was not worth all the paper work just to receive $10. So on October 1, 2008 through December 1, 2008 I was getting $30 in food stamps; that was a big jump from only $10. So on January 1, 2009 I was cut down in food stamps and they did not have the common courtesy to contact me and tell me because my income went up, my food stamps went down to $14.62. They cut me $15.38.
So come this August I am calling food stamps to say don’t bother coming to renew my food stamps; it is not worth all the stress just for $14.62. So I don’t think it is fair that these organizations are unfair to the needy just to receive food every month to live on.
Brian Silvani