Feeding the poor

I was reading about some small towns in northern Montana. Hunters will sometimes donate an animal, or part of one to local food banks. Volunteers butcher and package the meat for distribution to the poor. It occurred to me that while I am plunking down $8,99 for fatty hamburger, poor people get elk, bison, and venison. Somehow this is just puzzling with a vague undertone of unfair.

Who are these poor people exactly? Illegal Aliens?

Calypso Jones wrote:Who are these poor people exactly?  Illegal Aliens?

People who support and vote for the Democrats!

I"m sure there are people who do not qualify for it that at getting free food.

The hunters are giving of their own free will and the food is not going to waste. That's where I stop worrying about it. Learn to hunt or ask your friends who hunt to buy some of their meat at an agreed upon price.

Calypso Jones wrote:Who are these poor people exactly?  Illegal Aliens?

No. The towns I was reading about had populations of 15,000 and under. More critters than people. I gather that the poor are elderly or unemployed who don't hunt. These tiny Montana towns, presumably repeated in the Dakotas as well, have no public services.

Calypso Jones wrote:I"m sure there are people who do not qualify for it that at getting free food.  

I don't think there is much of any qualifying. These western towns are the kind where everyone knows everyone. They know exactly who is in need especially in winter. There are plenty of well off people who have friends who hunt and gift a Buffalo roast or Elk medallions to friends. There is, apparently, more than enough to go around.

Then i'm fine with that...taking care of americans rather than brushing them aside to feded peop;le who shouldn't be here in the first place.

EvilCat Breath wrote:I was reading about some small towns in northern Montana.   Hunters will sometimes donate an animal, or part of one to local food banks.  Volunteers butcher and package the meat for distribution to the poor.   It occurred to me that while I am plunking down $8,99 for fatty hamburger,  poor people get elk, bison,  and venison.   Somehow this is just puzzling with a vague undertone of unfair.

Montana is far different than the Southern California areas. Even in the relatively urban areas, there are many generous people, and seemingly many resources.

There's a local pork processing plant here that regularly donates bacon ends to the local food bank. I don't need or use the food bank; but in this 60-plus apartment complex, we have many residents who do qualify. But frankly, 20 pounds of bacon is not easy to quickly use up. The box would appear, brought in by a resident who was starting to develop dementia; and to keep it from spoiling, when I saw it, I'd try to break it down into smaller batches with freezer bags, and put it in the community fridge, and put a sign up inviting people to help themselves. I had a lot of it myself.

The food bank has what they call a Food Rescue truck - a minivan, that goes to the six large grocers we have, all have delis; and takes what they have on their deli rack that didn't sell, when they wind down. Morning - all these pre-prepared breakfast plates, and breakfast sandwiches; and night, with tubs of lasagna, and sometimes rotisserie chicken.

Yeah, the poor eat well, out here. Missoula County is not a hunter-friendly area - it's a California colony - but north or south of us, I can see a hunter who got his deer, wanting maybe the head...passing on the meat. Lot of wealthy residents out here - and if you just buy food, or have the kitchen staff buy it, you maybe don't want to be bothered preparing venison.

It's a different world. You could call us a cultural desert; but I can leave my car doors unlocked, and walk the streets after sundown. The murders that happen, mostly happen between people who know each other.

I was just kind of graze reading and ran across this article about feeding the poor and hunters donating their hunt, all or part of it to a local food bank this was up in Flathead County.