Star*
call 911........call 911
In response to a craigslist plea DF and I once again replied to a person asking for help. The ad said -
I hate to ask, but my husbands hours at work have been cut and I lost my job. We have two kids and foodstamps didn't get us through the month. If anyone has any food they can spare, we'd certainly appreciate it. Thank you and God Bless.
I mean HOW do you NOT respond to an ad like that? Okay - I was on FS, and Unemployment. I lost both of them for about 3 weeks, but I got mine back. FS came in, it wasn't much, but I was able to go to a couple churches food banks, and unemployment hasn't kicked in yet - but we're not starving. So I wrote her that I had a few things and hated to see the kids go hungry.
Our van (DF's) van is a 1990 van, with a broken rear window, it smokes, he never washes it, the door handle is broken, the paint is faded - and you get the picture. DF is cripled, walks with a cane and is in pain all the time. Just watching him walk you know the man hurts. I bagged up a few things - and called this Mom asking her to meet somewhere.
The last time we did this? The girl pulled up in a 2008 year car, with nicer clothes from the mall than I've had in years, a perm, nails just done, and asked us to get her a pack of cigarettes on the way in - she was running late. Her skirt was so short when she bent over to make change in her designer purse? You could see her underpants. DF and I both just stood there amazed. Not jaded - just amazed.
So this time - we were thinking - with a plea like this? Sure the woman would be more destitute. Well, DF says "Is that her???" and across the parking lot we see the 'white suv' it's a WHAT? A 2005 or so Lincoln Navigator...and she gets out, dripping with jewelry, gold chains, rings, and 2 cell phones. TWO - cell phones. DF gets out and walks up and asks "Are you Lisa?" Lisa with the tan - from a tanning booth, Lisa? She says "Yeah, I got a little lost. DF looked at her and said. Are you getting this for yourself? Yeah - we just cant seem to make $450 in foodstamps stretch. "
So DF walks her around to the side of our van, I get out and I said "Hi." and I said "Is that YOUR car?" she said "Yeah it's not new or anything." I said "Wow, wish I could drive a $40,ooo vechicle and get foodstamps. How do you do that? Boy your manicure is pretty do you do that yourself?" She said "No I get them done at XX salon, haven't had them done in a week." I said "Must be the same place you get your tan?" and she said "NO I get that at XX place."
DF and I just stood there AMAZED. I said "WOW, 40k vehicle, jewelry, hair cuts, tanning booth, nails and you're begging on craigslist for food? What's up with that?"
So just as serious as she could be she said "Well I just didn't want to go to any of the churches or anything - that would be stealing." About that time, I put the bag down and said "Well then we're gonna help you out with your conscience because all of this food we're sharing? Comes from a church food pantry - up until you said THAT - I was just gonna let all this slide but lady you should be ashamed of yourself. He's on disability, I'm unemployed, our food stamps got cut, my unemployment got cut and we certainly don't have any vehicle under 20 years old, but we were out here because you said you're kids were hungry. If they are hungry you need to take some of that jewelry and go to a pawn shop, stop with the fake nails, fake tan, hair cuts, and get a job. This is such BULL."
Seriously - can you NOT see - that you aren't starving you are just not COMFORTABLE? This food isn't brand new - it's donated. What did you think you were going to get? A Gift card?"
Well she started crying and then I felt like a heel. I said - "Look. I'm not trying to be mean, but you have really gotten your priorities out of order. You don't go asking people for food when you get dang near $500 a month (and how do you get THAT when your hubby is working? ) in food stamps and you don't get nails, hair and tans when you get foodstamps - you get a JOB.....or at least try to find one and you don't need any of those things to get one.
Df just stood there flabbergasted - and said "Am I putting the groceries in her Lincoln or not?" I looked at this girl - around 25 and I said - "Take this stuff, but don't ask for help on CL again like this. I wrote down the United Way's number and told her to call them for financial counseling and gave her the number to a local minsitry that does the same and would help with food IF she met financial guidelines. She actually thanked us, and said she's just always had all these things - I told her she's lucky she didn't bump into someone that didn't turn her in for Foodstamp fraud. But if I saw her pulling this again - I would. Had her license plate # too...
I can tell you one thing - I'm done doing the vigil ante food basket deals - 2x and you're out and this is our 2nd one.
How could you NOT be conscious of this? Df said he thought I was going to rip her a new one - and was surprised when I offered her the stuff and help - I swear she wasnt a difficult child but then again what really defines one? UGH....
Makes ya wonder.........
I hate to ask, but my husbands hours at work have been cut and I lost my job. We have two kids and foodstamps didn't get us through the month. If anyone has any food they can spare, we'd certainly appreciate it. Thank you and God Bless.
I mean HOW do you NOT respond to an ad like that? Okay - I was on FS, and Unemployment. I lost both of them for about 3 weeks, but I got mine back. FS came in, it wasn't much, but I was able to go to a couple churches food banks, and unemployment hasn't kicked in yet - but we're not starving. So I wrote her that I had a few things and hated to see the kids go hungry.
Our van (DF's) van is a 1990 van, with a broken rear window, it smokes, he never washes it, the door handle is broken, the paint is faded - and you get the picture. DF is cripled, walks with a cane and is in pain all the time. Just watching him walk you know the man hurts. I bagged up a few things - and called this Mom asking her to meet somewhere.
The last time we did this? The girl pulled up in a 2008 year car, with nicer clothes from the mall than I've had in years, a perm, nails just done, and asked us to get her a pack of cigarettes on the way in - she was running late. Her skirt was so short when she bent over to make change in her designer purse? You could see her underpants. DF and I both just stood there amazed. Not jaded - just amazed.
So this time - we were thinking - with a plea like this? Sure the woman would be more destitute. Well, DF says "Is that her???" and across the parking lot we see the 'white suv' it's a WHAT? A 2005 or so Lincoln Navigator...and she gets out, dripping with jewelry, gold chains, rings, and 2 cell phones. TWO - cell phones. DF gets out and walks up and asks "Are you Lisa?" Lisa with the tan - from a tanning booth, Lisa? She says "Yeah, I got a little lost. DF looked at her and said. Are you getting this for yourself? Yeah - we just cant seem to make $450 in foodstamps stretch. "
So DF walks her around to the side of our van, I get out and I said "Hi." and I said "Is that YOUR car?" she said "Yeah it's not new or anything." I said "Wow, wish I could drive a $40,ooo vechicle and get foodstamps. How do you do that? Boy your manicure is pretty do you do that yourself?" She said "No I get them done at XX salon, haven't had them done in a week." I said "Must be the same place you get your tan?" and she said "NO I get that at XX place."
DF and I just stood there AMAZED. I said "WOW, 40k vehicle, jewelry, hair cuts, tanning booth, nails and you're begging on craigslist for food? What's up with that?"
So just as serious as she could be she said "Well I just didn't want to go to any of the churches or anything - that would be stealing." About that time, I put the bag down and said "Well then we're gonna help you out with your conscience because all of this food we're sharing? Comes from a church food pantry - up until you said THAT - I was just gonna let all this slide but lady you should be ashamed of yourself. He's on disability, I'm unemployed, our food stamps got cut, my unemployment got cut and we certainly don't have any vehicle under 20 years old, but we were out here because you said you're kids were hungry. If they are hungry you need to take some of that jewelry and go to a pawn shop, stop with the fake nails, fake tan, hair cuts, and get a job. This is such BULL."
Seriously - can you NOT see - that you aren't starving you are just not COMFORTABLE? This food isn't brand new - it's donated. What did you think you were going to get? A Gift card?"
Well she started crying and then I felt like a heel. I said - "Look. I'm not trying to be mean, but you have really gotten your priorities out of order. You don't go asking people for food when you get dang near $500 a month (and how do you get THAT when your hubby is working? ) in food stamps and you don't get nails, hair and tans when you get foodstamps - you get a JOB.....or at least try to find one and you don't need any of those things to get one.
Df just stood there flabbergasted - and said "Am I putting the groceries in her Lincoln or not?" I looked at this girl - around 25 and I said - "Take this stuff, but don't ask for help on CL again like this. I wrote down the United Way's number and told her to call them for financial counseling and gave her the number to a local minsitry that does the same and would help with food IF she met financial guidelines. She actually thanked us, and said she's just always had all these things - I told her she's lucky she didn't bump into someone that didn't turn her in for Foodstamp fraud. But if I saw her pulling this again - I would. Had her license plate # too...
I can tell you one thing - I'm done doing the vigil ante food basket deals - 2x and you're out and this is our 2nd one.
How could you NOT be conscious of this? Df said he thought I was going to rip her a new one - and was surprised when I offered her the stuff and help - I swear she wasnt a difficult child but then again what really defines one? UGH....
Makes ya wonder.........