Special Project: Ann Arbor's Hidden Poor
David Jesse and Tina Reed.
Lon Horwedel | AnnArbor.com
In the hierarchy of needs every person has, few are more important than food.
It's one of the most basic resources, but among Ann Arbor residents who have been struggling on low incomes for years and the growing population of Ann Arbor residents hard-hit by the downturn in Michigan's economy, getting good food isn't always so basic.
In November, we began writing this special project about Ann Arbor's Hidden Poor as part of an ongoing series exploring poverty in Ann Arbor. Among those stories, we gave an overview of the local safety net, how that safety net is being strained and offered the first-hand stories of Ann Arbor residents who depend on it.
This month, we're zeroing in on food resources in the county and the challenge of eating healthfully while facing greater challenges, possibly of even eating anything at all. Although, many residents and experts alike agree it's easier to get help finding food during tough times in Ann Arbor than other areas of the state, there are still different barriers to getting a meal and ensuring it's a healthful one for those in need. And there has been an increased need for these food distribution services in recent months.
It is the second installment in an ongoing series pegged to look at resources and the barriers in the community when it comes to getting basic needs like housing, health care, transportation and education, topics we plan to explore in the coming months. And in a special installment later this week, we will look at how local distribution systems are set up to provide clothing and gifts to local families for the holidays.
It's all part of our look at the health of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County's safety net and something we hope trigger further conversation in the community about those in need locally.
David Jesse covers K-12 education for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at davidjesse@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2534. Tina Reed covers health and the environment for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at tinareed@annarbor.com or at 734-623-2535.
Comments
Dogfish120
Sun, Dec 27, 2009 : 1:53 p.m.
The premise of this series, as important as it is, I fear will not shine reality into the houses of the upper or elite classes of our community. To be unemployed today is far more a common thing than in past times, but loosing your job in our current economy is the equivalent of falling of the cliff of normalcy. Its that easy to become destitute, while our government sponsored welfare system crumbles, employers continue to rationalize ways to become ultra lean, and shed the idea of ever having a "full time" staff. Those that are employed are currently feeling a recession, those that are unemployed are experiencing a depression. We live in a nation in which 98% of all the available assets are held by the top 2% of our society. Don't expect the elite to give a hand with solving the crisis of our time.
Domey
Tue, Dec 22, 2009 : 9:37 a.m.
I work at a local "supercenter" and my sibling works at a local grocery store, part of a large chain. If you knew how much "good" food is thrown away in these places on a daily basis, you would be sickened. While alleged "liability" is used as the excuse for putting this food in landfills, the real reason is that they make no profit giving food to food banks/charities and they feel any food given away will reduce sales of other food, thereby reducing profits. And after all, profit is all they care about.
PJ
Tue, Dec 22, 2009 : 7:46 a.m.
Food stamps rock when you are laid off!
gamebuster
Mon, Dec 21, 2009 : 4 a.m.
I can offer tours for "Ann Arbor Extreme Hidden Poor". No shelter (no housing), only $200 food stamp. Daily staff and clothes all depend on friends or church donations. You could hand out donations to them in person. You might be surprised as such Extreme Hidden Poor existing among us. I'm serious. Call 358-5070. We can get our community to meet those hidden poor people. We need to think the balanced distribution of our community resources. Go check the big trailers put at the back of Busch's Grocery stores. lots of food got trashed, not only Busch's, Hiller's, Wholefoods, some big grocery stores, they trash tons of food in covered trailers. Not so many stores sell discounted near expired-date food. Can we direct those near expired-date food to nearby churches or charity but not "Food Gatherer"? Because, it usually takes several days from "Food Gatherer" to other small units. "Near expired-date food" can't be consumed anymore.
Brit Satchwell
Sun, Dec 20, 2009 : 11:13 a.m.
This is a hugely important series, key title word: hidden. So many have given up and are not reflected in the unemployment data. So many are chronically underemployed, working a desperate patchwork of part-time jobs, yet live in poverty. Our "free market" culture has, at an increasing rate, facilitated the privatization of profit via the socialization of risk... insidious, gradual, incremental, "hidden"... to the point where our nation has millions(!) of fellow citizens whose freedom to make economic choices that others take for granted is gone. Their only remaining "choices" are reduced to the abject level of survival, and therefore represent the absence of any choices other then food vs shelter, food vs health care, food vs time with family. It has indeed become a jungle out here. Opportunity, unlike water, does not flow downhill in this land of "opportunity for all". Far worse, it is quietly diverted uphill as we divert ourselves with palliative rhetoric that often clings to "American values" and "rugged self-sufficiency" for its emotional legitimacy. We have seen the false patriots and they are us. It's just that sight has not yet become recognition. We are loathe to admit that our system isn't working. We pride ourselves for holding certain truths to be self evident, even as we cloak others in denial. This series will help. The status of our least fortunate citizens should be the measure of the democracy that the more fortunate among us say we hold so dear. But we have to see their status first. Kudos to annarbor.com for asking us to take a look in our own backyard.