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Pregnant couple in need of food
01/21/2011 3:02 PM by John M
A plea for help via Craigslist:
Pregnant Couple In Need of Food (Church Hill, Richmond) I’m currently pregnant and can go into labor anytime really. My fiance and I recently moved to Richmond for his job, however he was laid off this past month. I normally work as a CNA, but of course nobody will hire me at this point in my pregnancy. We are starting to run very low on food and I have applied (to my great dismay) for SNAP benefits at the Social Services. They have not proven very time effective despite the fact that I have expressed my current situation to them. If you have any extra food that you can let go please email me. Thank you all so much…you have no idea what this means to us.
Hey John – could you post a link to this listing, or their email address?
http://richmond.craigslist.org/wan/2172216345.html
This is why I love CHPN.net
If they have a computer and can post on Craigslist, they can find the Central Virginia Food Bank.
http://www.cvfb.org/
Social services should have a list of food pantries and feeding programs as well.
I dropped off some groceries and talked to the woman that posted the Craig’s List message today. She is very grateful, as several people came through with some food for them. She asked me to pass this along, “Please let everyone know that we are thankful for their posting of information. Also, please let people know that we have a pretty good supply of food at this point. We would hate to abuse people’s kindness.”
Pregnant woman posts ad on Craigslist for food assistance (wtvr 1/24/2011)
Good work John!
I’m putting together diapers, wipes, soaps, basic baby necessities. If anyone would like to contribute send me an email at – 711renovate@gmail.com
I met Vikki this weekend – she’s really nice, and just in a rough spot right now.
A word on supplies, food, etc. – she and her fiance are currently living in a small one-bedroom. It may be helpful to not only gather stuff, but to arrange to drop them things off in smaller amounts as they need them. They don’t have a lot of space, and could easily get overwhelmed through the kindness of others.
I think gift cards to local grocery stores, Target, etc would probably also be wonderful for them, so they can buy what they need as they go.
Eek – sorry for the lack of proofreading – I meant “things” not “them things.”
What about the Food Not Bombs kids that were previously talking about serving meals in Church Hill a month or so back? I’m sure they have some resources available to assist other human beings in need of food in this neighborhood…
FNB can’t make a political statement by feeding these folks so I’m sure they are not interested.
Nice that a lot of people did step up to the plate to help these nice folks out! I wish them the best of luck!
right on, sew.
the personal is the political. when we do so as much as genuinely smile or wave to a stranger, it matters.
nice to see my neighbors are helping one another out… one of many reasons to love the hill.
I would like to help with clothes, my niece had a baby in July and we have plenty of little boy clothes if she is having a boy.
Let me know where I can drop them off if needed.
Reality,
I agree with you…I think it matters if we smile or wave or do anything nice for someone else.
What I meant with FNB is the fact that they arent’ concerned with anything unless it furthers their “political statement” agenda. This couple has been on at least 2 TV news programs and on CHPN. I dare say (I could be wrong here but I doubt it) that FNB has not even considered helping them.
Just my 2 cents.
Um, what’s your beef with Food Not Bombs? I myself am not a participant in FNB, so I have no personal stakes here, but I find your negativity about them to be very strange.
Absolutely their whole thing is openly political, yes, but so what? Does that nullify what they do? Part of their mission is to make the homeless un-invisible. That is why they take their food-preparing activities to the streets (like in Monroe Park, for example).
However, they also deliver unused and unsold food to food pantries and food kitchens, and they are frequently first responders to catastrophes like 9-11 or natural disasters like earthquakes, where they serve food to victims and policemen/firemen.
Are you saying FNB wouldn’t help them because they are white? That is the only subtext in your post that I can discern, sadly.
If so, I think you need to take a closer look at who exactly is homeless in America…it may surprise you..
Clay Street,
By beef with FNB is they don’t help (at least around here) without making their political statement…whether it’s making the homeless “un-invisible” or whatever statement they are currently on at the moment.
I didn’t mention anything about race or these folks being white so there was no subtext for you to discern. FNB wouldn’t (and hasn’t) helped them because there is no political statement to be made (nothing in it for FNB). I guess it’s because these people are not homeless or whatever reason.
All I’m saying is that there are plenty of groups around that serve the homeless meals and offer assistance…this group seems to be more militant than say churches, etc. Much of the militant attitude I guess comes from the likes of Mo Karn who seems to be their spokesperson.
Additionally, simply feeding the homeless in the park isn’t doing anything to solve the problem of homelessness. FNB isn’t helping these folks get back on their feet, find jobs, etc. They simply want to make their statements.
Something like this would help the homess a lot more than the FNB political statements:
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/2011/jan/27/tdmain01-program-provides-shelter-for-homeless-whi-ar-801961/
I’m just saying that they feed a lot of homeless people. Militancy is in the eye of the beholder, I guess…
I agree that the A Place to Start Program is a model that should be expanded in order to successfully help people transition permanently from homeless to independent living.
However, FNB (of which I am not a part, and I don’t know anyone who is involved in their organizing) has a mission of taking things that are unused or thrown away (edible food) and delivering it to places where the most in need can eat it.
Their mission is absolutely ideological, they aim to put a stick in the eye of mainstream commodity culture, but my point is that that in and of itself does not warrant bashing what they actually do–feed people.
Peace.
Clay Street,
I’ll agree with on the fact that their mission is ideological. IMHO I just think there are better alternatives out there. In the end they do feed people and that’s great. Wht can’t they just let it go at that instead of pressing another agenda on top of that.
I think that FNB people are coming from a place where they feel that American culture throws so much away while spending a lot of money and resources on war and the military, and FNB works locally–independent and outside of government, I might add–to counteract that, albeit on their own terms.
If they happened to be Catholic nuns or Mormon missionaries or Evangelical Christians, feeding people would also be packaged in a way that may alienate others.
Almost any “mission” is ideological, but FNB’s particular religion (a message of anti-war, anti-military/industrial complex. anti-commodity) is just not a familiar gospel to most people.
FNB is affiliated with real anarchist groups. The kind that want to destroy all institutions. They are fundamentally anti-social in every meaning of the term “anti-social” and have no interest in ending homelessness. A cursory GOOGLE search will show this. If you support them or volunteer for them, I encourage you to check it out. Secular charity they are not, no matter how many contrary links you throw up here after this post.
Beatrice – she is having a baby boy, and I’m sure the clothes would be very much appreciated. That’s very nice of you to offer. I’m going to see in a couple days….if you want to email me, we can arrange a drop-off for clothes and I’m happy to bring them to her.
bjoyfulclothing@hotmail.com
I met them today… sweet kids. Dropped off diapers, baby wipes, soap.
I think they’ve got the newborn clothes covered. Something to grow into should be a consideration.
Kenny, the fiance works construction but is taking any job he can get at the moment. If anyone knows of a construction job that would be most helpful.
#24 chpnfan – do you know anything about his carpentry skills? I might know of something but need to know about his skill set and/or previous experience. Please post and let me know, and then if I can I will pass it on, thanks.
@#22: Framing the discussion is everything in terms of constructing meaning.
As I said above, militancy (or anarchy or anti-socialness) is all in the eye of the beholder.
One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s insurgent, as Chomsky might say…I am pretty sure our Founding Fathers were seen as anti-social by the British, and yet we as Americans have created a discoure that celebrates a violent and militant overthrow of government (we even celebrate it with a national holiday!)
Using the term anti-social to describe FNB does not deploy any real meaning about what they do.
chpn fan – still wondering if you know anything about the expectant father’s carpentry skills. Apparently you met the couple the other day. Not trying to take away from the discussion about FNB, LOL, just that I’d like an answer as I might know someone who could use a skilled carpenter sometime in the near future.
I haven’t met them yet but we are planning to bring some gift cards over tonight. Vikki did mention that her fiancee had electrician experience and is licensed to practice in VA. I’ve seen enough homes in the area to know that there has to be some demand for that kind of work around here… 🙂
I’ll ask him about carpentry work when we see them tonight.
Kenny does have carpentry experience and would be glad to do some work in that area if you have anything available. He has also worked on landscaping for a while if anyone needs to fix up their yard this spring.
@29 Does Kenny have contact info such as an email address?
Alex, thanks for the information in #28 and #29. It may be a few weeks and in the meantime I will also look forward to seeing contact information asked for in #30 and pass it along to someone who might need construction help.
I got an email from Vikki this morning. Her husband was offered a job with my brother in law’s law firm last week. It sounds like they are getting to a better place.