Little Rock Compassion Center volunteers have noticed many new faces since the recent funding cut in the federal food-stamp program, and they are asking for donated food and volunteers to help deliver 1,000 meal baskets to the poor this week.
“A lot of times, people wouldn’t get anything if it wasn’t for what’s being passed out,” said the center’s Rev. William Holloway. “They work part time. They are having a hard struggle of it. A lot of people right now are just suffering all together.
“They are just not getting the work they need. Many were working seasonal jobs and are out of work at the holidays. Working two or three days a week when you have a family of three to five people, that’s just not enough money to support yourself.”
Holloway said the center often sees what he calls “the working poor” - men and women who barely are able to pay rent and who bring in their families for meals. The center has lately seen a lot of people who are without gas or electricity at their homes, Holloway said.
“Families are simply just not getting enough work in. They’re willing to work; they just can’t find work to maintain life. And many are ineligible for food stamps because they are working or make too much,” Holloway said. “I don’t get it. If you are trying to help yourself, why can’t we help you?”
He correlated the uptick in visitors to the center with the recent decrease in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps. The 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s boost to the federal program ended Nov. 1 and resulted in a cut to every household that receives benefits.
For families of three, the cut was about $29 per month - a total of $319 from November 2013 through September 2014, which is the end of fiscal year 2014 - according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
About 1,000 people signed up for the center’s Christmas meal program. They’ll receive a basket of food that will provide three meals a day for five days. Each basket is designed to feed about four people. The baskets include a chicken or turkey, stuffing and canned foods.
In addition to the food baskets, volunteers also will serve meals at the center Christmas Day. Breakfast will be served from 5:30 to 8 a.m. From noon to 1:30 p.m., there will be lunch and a midday service. The evening meal and service will be from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Little Rock Compassion Center, located at 3618 W. Roosevelt Road, is an inner-city mission focused on feeding and sheltering hungry and displaced people and preaching the gospel of Christ, according to its website.
Arkansas, Pages 9 on 12/24/2013