Feeding America

[DanaC]

I'm putting this in the politics forum, because I believe poverty is a political issue. It could just as easily go into the philosphy section, as the roles of charity and government are both political and philosphical.

Anyhoo...

I am on the mailing list for the BreastCancerSite.com Pink Ribbon campaign. Today I got an update and a request for donations which is clearly aimed particularly at their American subscriber base. Amongst the schemes the e-letter was promoting was the Feeding America charity:

Did you know that millions of American families are currently struggling to put food on the table? Early last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service reported that over 50 million people nationwide, including more than 17 million children, do not have consistent access to nutritious food and are going hungry. It's very likely that your neighbor, co-worker, friend, or even a family member is hungry.

You can help set the table for some of these struggling families. When you place your do-good order at The Breast Cancer Site store today through Thanksgiving Day, you'll help feed a U.S. family in need through Feeding America®--the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity. Your cost-free contribution will assist them as they aid an increased number of families in need; In just four short years the need has risen 46%, which means that Feeding America is feeding one million more people each week. In fact, more than one-third of households they service report having to choose between food and other basic necessities, such as rent, utilities, and medical care.

That's quite a stark picture; and whilst I understand that fundrasing letters are likely to egg the pudding a little, I also think it's likely that they are highlighting a genuine issue.

Does this suggest that it might be time to reassess the social safety nets currently in place?

Do you believe that this is a problem which should be tackled by the Government, or are you happy to see it stay in the hands of charitable benevolence?