Hundreds Turned Away: Many Newly Unemployed New Jersey Residents Line Up For Food Help For First Time
Reports of food insecurity are increasing across the nation as more people are laid off, but now it's also showing up in areas that were once economically secure. About 1,500 cars were turned away one day last week in Egg Harbor, N.J. when the food bank ran out of supplies. Other food scarcity news is reported on SNAP recipients and the volunteer groups delivering services, as well.
The New York Times:
Food Lines A Mile Long In America’s Second-Wealthiest State
Jean Wickham’s two sons are in college. Her husband has worked at the same New Jersey casino for 36 years. She recently felt secure enough to trade her full-time casino job for two part-time gigs that came with an expectation of bigger tips. Then the coronavirus shut down every casino in Atlantic City and instantly put more than 26,000 people out of work — 10 percent of the county’s population. “I’ve worked since I was 14 years old,” said Ms. Wickham, 55, a card dealer. “We’ve never had to rely on anyone else.” (Tully, 4/30)
NPR:
Coronavirus Threat Poses Extra Problems For SNAP Recipients
Not long after the shelter-in-place order went into effect in California last month, Melissa Santos and her wife established new rules: they'd eat breakfast, try to get by with snacks, suppress hunger with coffee, and then have dinner. Santos is a student at the University of California, Berkeley. At 32, she's older than most of her undergraduate peers; she spent years taking care of a grandmother with Alzheimer's before considering her own education and career. (Gingold, 4/30)
ABC News:
As Coronavirus Continues, So Does Food Insecurity
More than 20 million Americans have filed for unemployment benefits since the coronavirus outbreak began in the U.S. While unemployment has many side effects, one of the most common is food insecurity. Robert Lee, the CEO and co-founder of Rescuing Leftover Cuisine, told ABC's Michelle Franzen on the Perspective podcast that millions of Americans didn't know where their next meal was coming from even before COVID-19 hit the U.S. (Ali, 4/30)
