Low-Income Families Struggle with Food Security
These complaints highlight the daily struggle for low-income families to access adequate and safe food. Many rely on food pantries and charitable organizations to survive, often facing challenges like limited resources, restrictive diets due to allergies/medical conditions, and feelings of shame or guilt associated with seeking assistance. The situation is exacerbated by unexpected expenses and a sense of being trapped in a cycle of poverty.
SOURCES (60)
“Thankfully, the venn diagram of people who would volunteer at food banks and people with empathy and compassion is a complete circle. Angels, truly. 💕”
“Not unethical, I volunteered at a food bank last week. One thing I noticed was that they had an abundance of produce and perishables that would not make it till the next week and go to waste. I was told this was common as they request as much as possible to not be short. I suggest anyone who is in need or getting close to being in need utilize these services.”
“That’s outdated, there are currently pretty decent laws protecting stores who donate food so long as they aren’t wildly negligent about whether or not it’s okay. They could go further in covering edge cases (food affected by power outages, for instance) but most of the time stores and restaurants can donate whatever they’ve got without extra liability.”
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with using a food bank. Honestly, I think most food banks would be happy to have you!? I volunteer at a food bank in NE and while we do get donations, we also get funding. If we don’t use the funding a.k.a. giveaway food, they removed the funding. So I think utilizing the food bank is a good resource.”
“Can somebody get me some food I'm starving don't get paid into tmr night I'II be grateful if somebody can get me something to eat on DoorDash submitted by /u/Successful_Bath_2992 [link] [comments]”
“I have applied for snap so many times and they keep denying me trying to say I don't qualify, and now I really don't qualify because now you need to work 20 hours a week minimum, and I'm lucky if I get to work half of that. If asked my boss to please schedule me more, and this week he gave me 5 days, but one of my coworkers is on a school trip this week, so let's see how long that lasts when he gets back.”
“Hi everyone! I am a new employee at a nonprofit that seeks to address food insecurity among students in my school district. We pack food packs to deliver to schools for families and neighbors to pick up, but we’ve been noticing that there has been pretty low turnout despite a high need for food insecurity the community. We think this is mostly from a lack of good communication (a lot of low income/working class parents aren’t in the loop about school things), the stigma of needing to seek free f”
“Blessings to you for helping others. The more you give, the more will come back to you. We should not give to be seen but we should be seen giving.”
“At one time a Cici's Pizza where I lived gave out the remains after closing. You might check with them if you have one nearby.”
“My husband and I went a new pantry today. The last one I went to gave mostly snack food. Lots of candy, sugery things. Even my kid commented that it was a lot of snacks. So we tried a new one. It's actual food and the only thing we got that I don't have a use for is the truffle oil. I'm not a mushroom fan. submitted by /u/PurplePenguinCat [link] [comments]”
“Im aware this isn't just a UK sub but if anyone is in the Motherwell area of Scotland there's a food bank that operates from a church on Mabel st at half ten every Monday. No referral needed and all fresh food. I was 84th in the queue and still got a decent amount of food. submitted by /u/AffectionateBend7010 [link] [comments]”
“I can't speak on Reddit, but my local area has a group or two on Facebook where people can post looking for aid and others help out. I personally have delivered items to people that I was giving away.”
“I just found out it existed last month. A scout troop installed it and kept it up for a few years, then the kids didn't need service hours anymore. Enter me, a horticulture student. The lady at the food pantry said I could take it over, and together we recruited a few people to pull weeds with us. Today was the first day. After the weeds were out we planted green beans, potatoes, pepper plants, basil, Swiss chard, and lettuce and mesclun in the shady beds. Planning for garlic, radishes, cabb”
“Certainly, contributing to Francis and Judith's Malnutrition Centre in DR Congo is a good bet. Money goes straight to treating malnourished children. The centre has been going for 11 years and has treated over 5000 children with life-threatening malnutrition. It's run by myself and my wife with 12 local women volunteers. We use funds for the children's medical treatment as well as a +/- 6 week feeding programme. Donate to our fundraiser https://gofund.me/74d0e770 Francis and Judith&#”
“I agree with you and the social safety nets are exactly meant for this. Usually poverty and lack of safety nets leads to eventual homelessness or crime and incarceration. What a lot of conservatives don't understand is "crime and incarceration" is very expensive on Tax payer. It costs 31k per year in Alabama. Add the productivity loss, family situation further worsening.. strong social safety nets build a productive society. Even selfish soul less conservative person should underst”
“If I was utilizing a food bank, I would not only say no to bringing a dish to pass, but also not waste gas and go to multiple parties in the first place.”
“That’s one of the very reasons food pantries exist, so that your money can be put elsewhere and you don’t have to worry so much about the food.”
“my thoughts exactly! and the volunteers are so nice and always encourage me to take more and not to be shy to ask for other supplies i might need :,)”
“yes!! the fruit is currently in the freezer for breakfast smoothies, half of it though i’m saving as a cold snack for my pets! cucumbers i plan on making asian cucumber salad and japanese potato salad with, i love raw tomato for snacking on for some reason haha! these will last me a good while!”
“thank you! yes!! whenever i get meats it’s always out in the freezer to be stretched out for the week or even the entire month sometimes. the food bank has been giving me meat every week which is so different than what im used to. i’ll usually buy meat once a month on the first grocery trip of the week and i stretch it to last the rest of the month! so i’m still getting used to letting myself use meat in my dishes more often 😅 my freezer is so full right now and good to know! i am really lookin”
“Never feel embarrassed of needing help! It is so brave to ask for and accept help! I am proud of you, stranger! Decent haul! if you have a freezer you can really stretch that out! Those cheese danish buns are so nostalgic for me, I almost never see them in stores anymore where I live now. Enjoy!”
“i’m becoming less embarrassed to go now and i’m always so grateful and even look forward to my grocery trips now! it’s helped me save so much of my ebt that now when i’m out i’m able to get myself an ice cream bar from the grocery store, or i can help contribute to potlucks and things like that now! i calculated the cost of how much i would’ve paid at the store in my area and it was a little over $200! im super excited for the pastries! i never really buy myself sweets to this is a nice treat &#”
“Yeah same here, boring sandwiches aren't exciting, but they keep the budget in check.”
Do you qualify for SNAP or maybe even WIC (since you have a young child.)
“I think most of us have had struggle meals. Have you considered checking a food pantry or maybe applying for food stamps?”
“I work at a food pantry and we try to make it a normal experience - in addition to what we get through Feeding America (an amazing national non-profit) like beans, pasta, rice, meat, plus a lot more, we also purchase eggs, butter and cheese, and veggies, greens and berries from local farmers! All for free to you!”
“I recently became my nieces (5 and 7) guardian. The oldest is easy. As long as we have roughly 40 pounds of fruit in the house plus enough gogurt to feed a small army, she’s happy. I’m able to pack her a sandwich with a side of fruit and gogurt and she will eat everything. The 5 year old is more of a grazer. She’s never done well with normal lunches so I’ve been sending her to school with a snack and a snack lunch. She also eats the same thing every day. She’s also on a low fiber diet at the mom”
“That real nice setup, no question ask make it feel less awkward for people too shy go regular food bank. Never hear restaurant do that before, wish more place have same idea. Thanks for share, gonna keep eye out if any restaurant near me got similar thing 🙏”
“That kinda thing happen too, app good but not always work for every area. Depend lot on where you live i guess, city with more store option probably easier find deal. Still worth check once a while case something change near you.”
“feel like extra step but free sub worth it lol. Firehouse one good to know, gonna check what other place got same deal. Thanks for share 🙏”
“Not just a Scan and Go issue. It is now happening at the self checkout kiosks as well. I bought about $150 worth of food, paid with EBT, and was surprised by a remaining balance of 18 cents. I know this happened at least one other time to me back in 2025 as well, though don't remember the details of that.”
“Can you or your family members volunteer at the food bank? That often is a way to get guaranteed and even extra food if there is a surplus. That's a way to get around the expensive gasoline line etc. Does your son qualify to get free lunch at local meal sites? My city has tons for minors. Nice pickup and go meals.”
“Last month I got my foodstamps off because I didn’t meet the able bodied requirement. My son gets a whopping $24. I went down there thinking it was a mistake because my doctor had sent in an exemption because of my heart and they said “nope, he checked the wrong box that’s why youre denied”. Not once did I get a noticed it was denied or I would have had him fix it. Now they said I need to reapply and they have 30 days to get back to me, however they’re in the middle of a move and they have no in”
“thanks, i only try fetch so far, get little cash back over time but slow. never hear "receipt hog" one, gonna check it. these not exactly free food tho, more like side saving, but still help overall so appreciate you share.”
“for me the difference is maybe feel less like "charity line" and more like just talking one person to another, like small favor not handout.”
“I want share something maybe help someone here. I working full time but still money always short before month end. So i start find free food WITHOUT going food bank line (some people feel shy for that, is ok either way no judgment). First thing check your grocery store "reduced" rack, usually near back or by bakery, they mark down bread, meat close to date, sometimes 50-70% off. Also some app like "Too Good To Go" or "Flashfood" show restaurants/stores giving big di”
“Has anyone ever applied for these during the summer months when they are not getting a paycheck? My school does not offer our salary to be spread over 12 months, so I do officially receive $0 in the summer. I'm in NJ, single, and recently found out I'm pregnant, if that helps. submitted by /u/notyourmotherskid [link] [comments]”
“I'm going to assume by 'benefits' you mean SSI/SSDI, Medicaid and/or Medicare, and food stamps, right? Look into food banks if food stamps isn't enough”
“Yes a soup kitchen. I was also thinking more public charity and a 501c3 also. I would still be able to be mobile. I don’t mind taking in donations but that’s all really.”
“I’ve volunteered at a food bank sorting produce and we really tried to catch anything squishy, fuzzy, or slimy but sometimes they slipped through. You should be able to call them and let them know you got moldy food and they’ll replace it.”
“I got some free meals from my local soup kitchen but my food stamps are being discontinued this month. Also I’m out of money for gas in my car so I will be walking 1 hour and 20 minutes to work cause we don’t have a bus near by and my churches hot line hasn’t picked up for possible assistance. submitted by /u/InfamousHouse9645 [link] [comments]”
“Expired food is common, and is usually fine. I was given moldy bread once and found out after I already ate part of the loaf. I got sick as a dog for a few days. I’ve used food banks for over a decade, and only once was I given moldy food. I trust food banks to give food safe to eat, but I always check everything out”
“It happens you just got a weed out the bad stuff. I'm just grateful to have the opportunity to even get food.”
“I went to one a long time ago where they served 90% spoiled produce at the start time, and slowly put more fresh/mostly fresh produce in until you were able to get the freshest produce if you came late. Most of what they served at the beginning should have been pitched. I felt bad for the people who had to come at the start time. I usually went later on, but 1 day I couldn't wait, and it was appalling to see the garbage they were willing to serve. Some corporations be greedy.”
“I think it is somewhat normal :( Every time I go to the food bank I receive at least one thing that is slimy, moldy, or completely inedible. I have to visually assess everything they give me as soon as I get home with it.”
“This is the first city I've lived in that I've gone to a food bank. Ive been a couple of times to pick up a food box and a lot of it was moldy/expired. Most of the produce looked like it had gone bad already and the milk and a lot of other things were past the expiration date. The bread molded within the next day or 2. I see people asking for help with groceries on our local FB groups and people always suggest the food bank, to which I've seen multiple people reply that everything is”
“Follow the local parks department. They tend to do a lot of free or low cost things during the summer. My local one has partnered with local businesses to provide a free day at all of the local pools this summer. They will also do movies in the park. Nothing super new but usually some good Disney movies. We also have a local theater that is doing kid flicks during the summer where all tickets for the movie are $3 and they do a jr popcorn and jr soda is $3 so it's $18 for me to take 2 kids to”
“Probably because foodstamps / welfare are a slow multi-step process requiring you to come into offices during the work day. Better to do the office trips before you have to take time off work, and then let the application mosey through the system on its own time.”
“I can’t feed a family of two on $300 a month, and we don’t splash out all that much. HCOL area is a problem.”
“6 years ago I was dead broke, literally $20 left in my bank account living in San Jose doing a startup that wasn’t paying at all. My card got declined at the grocery store and I didn’t have a car or license to go to the bank to withdraw cash. A kind lady covered my groceries that day and I was able to scrape by until I got my first paycheck. Since then I’ve been going to food banks and trying to get the free meals from rewards apps when I can. Every time I have a few hundred in savings, somethin”