Food Banks Evolve Beyond Emergency Aid to Address Systemic Hunger

Key Quotes

"If you're in that predicament what's the easiest thing to let go of you can't let go of your gas for your car you have to get to work you're working you can't let go of your rent you need a roof over your head for yourself and your family you can't let go of your utilities because then you don't have any electricity so the easiest thing to forgo is well i'll live on one meal a day."

Julie Buttner explains that for working families struggling to make ends meet, basic necessities like transportation, housing, and utilities are non-negotiable. This forces them to sacrifice meals, highlighting the severe trade-offs individuals make to survive. Buttner's statement underscores that food insecurity is not about a lack of willingness to work, but a failure of wages to cover essential living costs.

"Texas is now the hungriest state in the nation and dallas fort worth is the third hungriest metropolitan area in the united states and so as people are moving from other areas of the country into this fast growing dallas fort worth area there is a subset of that population that's moving in that is working in jobs that do not pay a living wage and so folks that are not making a living wage are the folks that we are seeing that need support from the tarrant area food bank and our network of over 500 nonprofit partner agencies they are working so it is surprising but they're just not earning a living wage."

Buttner directly addresses the misconception that food bank clients are unemployed or homeless. She states that a significant portion of those seeking assistance are working individuals and families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who are not earning a living wage. Buttner emphasizes that the high cost of living, coupled with low wages, creates a gap that necessitates support from food banks and their partner agencies.

"The misconception that oh well these are people who are homeless or they don't have a job and they're not working and you know okay yes we feed those people too that is a fraction of the community members that utilize our service we are supporting working people who simply are not making enough to pay for all the basic necessities and so think about that if you're in that predicament what's the easiest thing to let go of."

Buttner reiterates the common misconception about food bank recipients, clarifying that while homeless and unemployed individuals are served, they represent a smaller segment of the client base. She stresses that the majority are working individuals struggling to afford basic necessities due to insufficient wages. Buttner uses this point to pivot back to the difficult choices people must make when their income doesn't cover essential expenses.

"You know my opinion on that was is so be it if an administration doesn't want to support it then the public should and if we're in a situation where the administration wants to get more involved in it well then that provides a different degree of support but it is incumbent upon every single one of us to take action and be a part of the solution it's so basic again there's no excuse for people not having access to the food they need to thrive and i will say this other piece while we're very very disappointed pointed at what has happened with snap education and that we haven't yet seen a replacement for the lfpa program the federal government does still play a very important role in other programs that they fund the emergency food assistance program i mean we continue to receive great support it's different it's shifting it's changing i'm hopeful that new programs will come about but i think we're all just very frustrated with the fact that we continue to have people in our country that don't have access to the food they need this is this should not be."

Buttner responds to the idea that government should be solely responsible for providing a safety net, asserting that when government support wanes, the public must step in. She expresses disappointment over cuts to programs like SNAP education and LFPA but acknowledges that federal funding still plays a role through other programs. Buttner concludes that regardless of government involvement, it is everyone's responsibility to ensure people have access to food.

"Well i mean you can't do those things the advanced things if you don't have the basic things i mean somebody who's hungry isn't going to have the energy to go out and move the mountain and get the better job and you know all those other things it's so basic holy cow just like a having a house if you don't have a roof over your head how can i expect you to show up for work every day so i mean you got to take care of the basics and it's just it's a terrible thing that this country has people living in it that don't have just the basic provisions there is just no reason for it there's no excuse it's just so basic and elementary so i mean my best argument phil is just if you don't have nutrition it's a basic fundamental and i believe truly a right of every person in this country to have access to the food they need to be healthy and to thrive and go seek education and go seek jobs but if you don't have those basic necessities it's the foundation the rest of the blocks can't be built."

Buttner argues that addressing basic needs, such as nutrition, is a prerequisite for individuals to pursue more advanced goals like education or employment. She uses the analogy of needing a house before one can be expected to show up for work to illustrate this point. Buttner emphasizes that access to food is a fundamental right and the essential foundation upon which all other aspects of a healthy and thriving life are built.