Trickle Down?

The photo above accompanied a front page story in our local paper about the struggle the local Salvation Army was having trying to stock their food pantry. It seems the demand is high and the number of those donating is declining.  Part of the reason for the latter is that the people who are most steadfast in donating are now among those in need.

Talking with a physician colleague of mine, he commented how in his childhood home-- low income working class-- there was always enough for others. Donations to church, taking folks in that needed a place to stay, having those in need over for a lunch or dinner-- his parents took helping others as a personal duty. His parents had just enough but, somehow, always had enough to provide for others less fortunate.

My parents were much the same way. My parent's were always on the lookout for college students or others who needed a place to roost on a Sunday afternoon. Our door was definitely always open. A monetary donation to their church was always in the budget. My parents were far from flush but, they too, always had enough to share with others.

Somehow, going forward, this seems to continue to be the case. It's easy for those with large incomes to throw money in the pot: United Way or some other large collecting pot. But, somehow, the critical need at the local level still suffers a lot of shortfalls. Somehow it still seems to fall to those who know what it is to want to look after those in need.

In the case of our local food bank I followed up the newspaper story with a short letter to the editor. In it, I suggested those who believe in trickle down economics need to pull out their checkbooks. More than hospital gala fundraisers, more than charity runs and bicycle rides, more than pink ribbons, real people are in need of real help-- the kind of help that comes from dropping off a case of food at a food bank. Or a couple hundred dollars.

People don't seem to look out for one another so much as what I remember growing up. We've become a fairly selfish society as a whole. And, if there is a change in leadership this November bringing substantial cuts to social welfare programs of all types, it is only going to get worse. Some of us are going to have to stand at the ready to write checks, keep an eye out for those in need, and do what we can to help out. Trickle down economics will only offer relief if those with money are willing to turn on the faucet. So far, that doesn't seem too likely. And those who have historically done the "looking after" in this country, people like my parents and my friend's, are not likely to be in any position to help.