The Food Is Free What Is The Problem
If the food is free what is the problem, my friends? I recently read a comment from a reader and I loved it. I really did enjoy the message she sent. I must quote her because she experienced a major disaster back in 2004 called Hurricane Ivan. I quote, Angelcrest “As a suggestion to readers with special dietary needs…. stock up now on your preferred foods! After Hurricane Ivan hit our area dead center back in 2004, it was 2-3 weeks minimum before stores opened, and power was restored. It took longer for outlying areas & those closest to the bays & Gulf. We did go a couple of times to get ice, bottled water, & MREs that were being handed out & coordinated with folks in our Sunday school class to get the water & MREs to their respective neighbors who were elderly or otherwise unable to get to the distribution sites on their own. Most of these people had not prepared even though there was at least a week’s warning of the hurricane. And our classmates reported back that their neighbors refused the MREs because of being too spicy or salty & the food not being what they wanted.” Thank you, Angelcrest. Man, if this doesn’t smack you in the face I don’t know what would. Please store food your family will eat along with lots of water. The food was FREE and so was the water.
Please note Hurricane Ivan occurred in 2004 and roared through the Caribbeans and the Southeastern United States for over 10 days and seemed to not want to die down. It affected several areas, and several times it was labeled a category 5 then a 4 then a 5. Wow, the people were given one week’s notice that this major hurricane was headed their way, at least where Angelcrest lives. I do not know where she lives, but my point is this, some people have zero notice of an impending disaster or unforeseen emergency. Her neighborhood had a week to look over their pantry, cupboards, water storage, flashlights, first aid supplies, emergency cooking devices and whatever they felt was needed from the local stores to hunker down for this impending disaster. If seems as though some did nothing.
The Food Is Free:
They got MREs and didn’t care for the FREE food. I have seen counties hand out cases of water. I will never be in those lines for food or water unless my house crumbles in a very major disaster.
Here’s the deal, can you imagine standing in line to get cases of water, food, diapers, milk, or whatever? Well, I’m picturing empty store shelves. We had a 9-hour blocked highway between St. George, Utah, and Mesquite, Nevada a few years ago. For nine hours people were stuck in their cars, no way to turn the cars around, no way to exit. We had so much rain the roads washed away. This was not a hurricane, ice storm, or earthquake. I quickly ran to every local store and took pictures of the empty water and food shelves. I didn’t need anything, I just wanted to see the people scrambling because they were not prepared and record my observations and feelings as the scene unfolded. The shelves of water were nearly empty.
Have You Eaten MREs?
Did you read the sentence above about the MREs? The people in need felt the food was too spicy or too salty. Well, guess what my friends, we need to get food for our family, water for our family, and everything else so we don’t have to eat salty or spicy MREs that the government will hand out in a week or two, maybe even three weeks after a disaster. I tried calling our emergency preparedness county offices today and have left several emails asking what food our small town has planned to hand out if any. I still haven’t heard back from them. I wanted to know what plans they have in place. You may want to check with your city and county, hopefully, they will pick up the phone or return emails. It would be nice to know, for those who are not prepared in any way. Do your part for yourself and your family, you’ll be very glad you did!
This seems to be the first generation that doesn’t think a good supply of food put up is necessary. My mother grew up during the great depression, and always had a large well stocked pantry and freezer.
After Mom moved in with us, my friend and I were putting meals together for food storage, my Mom walked into the room, and asked what we were doing. I answered, “we are putting food up, in case times get bad.” Her reply was “That’s good” and she left.
When did making sure that your family would be able to eat, become a fringe belief? There have always been natural disasters, droughts, and snowstorms. Why don’t more people make sure their families are taken care of?
Janet, I totally agree with you on this new generation. I sometimes wonder why because my kids all grew up canning, gardening and learned to work. I can picture your mom with a smile on her face knowing she taught you well. Linda
I agree with you that this is a generation that doesn’t think a good supply of food put up is necessary. However, Janet, regrettably I do not think that the error is confined to this generation. While we are told, with good reason, to be very discreet with discussion of our prepping, we can also notice who is not prepping and unfortumately it is multi-generational. There is an I can go to the store and get it mentality no matter how many stories we see or hear to the contrary where stores shelves are virtually empty in last minute panic buying; the food riots that break out; the lootings etc. There is also as you note here, the notion that “the Government” is supposed to take care of these problems followed by resentment and blaming instead of admission of the lack of personal responsibility. We all know that a steady diet of MRE’s is not healthy in addition to not being pleasing to everyone’s palate. The Govenment as well as charitable institutions can and do provide aid as is possible but they are not required and will not do so “in the manner to which the recipient is accustomed.”
While I know that this column is discussing food storage, we all know there are other areas in which lack of preparation is going to cause major problems because of the attitudes discussed above.
I will follow up on your suggestion to see what will be available to the unprepared. When they call making inquiries and they will in their panic, you will be in a position to offer such information as is available. I would like to pass on this thought. Just as those who are prepared are cautioned not to talk about it, they should also to the extent possible not display it. There are some who caution that a person might wish to show up at distribution centers even if you feign disgust at having to wait in long lines and leave. That is a decision one must make depending on the situation. The point is to find ways to not draw attention to the fact that you have prepared.
Juanita, you are right about not talking about how much some of us have prepared for disasters or whatever. I am in a situation where people know where I live, some know how well prepared I am. Some preppers think that if they put a P.O. Box address on their emails that the greedy will not find them. Not true. It really is sad that in some neighborhoods people do not seem to realize they need to take care of themselves after any disaster, or emergency. I love your statement the government and charitable institutions will not supply the people with the food they are accustomed to eating. I love that statement! Thank you for your great comment! Linda
Hurricane Ivan was devastating. My kids liked the MRE’s. At storm warning I fill all bathtubs. Always the girl scout even without power and sewer for ages we were fine in the blown out house. Now that the kids have all grown and moved out I have a year’s worth of supplies. Just need to add. FEMA is a cuss word here, don’t wait for that help.
Hi Sherry, oh my gosh, I have heard some negative things about FEMA and the American Red Cross. I’m glad to hear your kids liked the MRE’sm because if that’s the only food available, we should be grateful for it. I love hearing you are filling your bathtubs if you hear a storm warning, good idea! Thank goodness for a year’s worth of supplies. Thanks for commenting to get the word out! Linda
This article is a real eye opener!!! Complaining instead of being grateful for the food is almost more than I can get my mind to wrap around!!! It is so hard to imagine how these people think! I was raised by a mother who canned, baked, cured meat, had her own chickens, beef, pork & knew how to use all of it . During a flood in our small community, my Mother took in around 30- 40 people besides her own family & took care of them for weeks, until they could get back into their own homes. What a blessing Moma & Daddy were to our family but to all that needed their help.
I must also say that my mom knew how to go into the hills and know what foods you could make a meal with. I only wish that this younger generation would realize how important knowing how to care for yourself & others is.
Also, why are people so ungrateful? They won’t make-do & be glad to do so as we were taught. Thanks for getting the information out & we can pray some will catch on. Thanks!!
LaRene, my reader’s comment was first hand and I am so grateful she shared it. It gives me anxiety thinking about those that think the government will be there when in fact they can only do so much. God helps those that help themselves. I love hearing that your mom and dad were able to take of so many people because they knew how to cook from scratch and gather edible food items. God bless those that are prepared. Hugs, Linda
I have always heard the expression ‘if you’re hungry enough you will eat anything’. Well I don’t plan to ever be ‘hungry enough’. I am slowly building my water and food storage by canning what I can and buying long term food storage as money allows. Zaycon is a great way to get ground beef and chicken in bulk. I have a small garden for the vegetables we love. Buy cases of water when it goes on sale. Also have several ways to filter water. Buy activated charcoal and learn how to use it to purify water. Stock up on over the counter meds. I live in central TX so the kinds of disasters here would be tornado,earthquake,or wild fires. We have been snowed in and iced in several times. Power outages happen a lot were I live. Therefore I have several ways to heat my home and cooking is not a problem. I bake bread regularly and gluten free breads for my nephew that has celiacs disease.My neighbors across the road have lots of chickens,ducks,turkeys and geese. They share eggs and vegetables with me and I share my home canned goods with them. My mother,sister, and son are also prepping. I only wish the rest of my family would think beyond today. Bad times are coming. It’s only a matter of time. I love reading your articles and have copied several of your recipes.God Bless and keep prepping.
Hi Judy, you rock with your comment! It’s people like you that keep me going by teaching the world to be prepared! I thank you from the bottom of my heart! I am adding your comment to my post. I love that you have neighbors you can trade with, that would be my dream come true, literally. AND you make bread with wheat and gluten free bread! I love it! Linda
“I have always heard the expression ‘if you’re hungry enough you will eat anything’. ” Thing is: some won’t. If the food is something they don’t know what to do , how to cook/prepare it, they are up the creek. In times of disaster, people need comfort not a new kind of food. Would the peoples of the Pacific Islands know what to do with corn? Corn meal/flour?
If there were a disaster here and someone brought me beans [canned, dried, etc.] I’d send it back because I don’t know how to prepare it. Except canned green beans or Lima beans, I can figure out what to do with those. Other than those, I’d be at a loss and would prefer it be given to someone who knows what to do with it.
New England just had a BIG snow storm. And there was a 55 vehicle pileup in Wakefield. How many of those were people going out to get supplies they should/could have gotten days/weeks/months before, I wonder. I’m sure not all of them were emergency personnel, plow drivers, police/firefighters, doctors and nurses, etc. who were going to work because they are NEEDED.
It is SO much easier to stock up ahead of a storm than going out in it. I’ll bet the families of those in the pileup wished they had stayed home. Even a roll of toilet paper isn’t worth the risk!
“Store what you eat and eat what you store.” Stock up when the stuff is on sale: Buy one-get one [or two], 10 for $10, etc. If you have MRE’s or dehydrated supplies, learn how to use them. What if all you have is MRE’s and you don’t know how to heat them up or the flavor is something your toddlers don’t like?
Always better to have extra than to go out during a storm. And MUCH less stress! Under the bed, behind the couch, in an upper shelf you can’t reach with out a chair/ladder, unused space over a door. There are many places to store your supplies even in a small apartment. AND don’t forget the water!!
Hi Lynne, great comment! This is exactly why people need to store food their family will eat. Plus store water, I have seen the news on TV show people lined up at their city or county getting water after their water was contaminated in the city. I totally agree with you about the food we may be given may not be acceptable to our taste buds, etc. I get it, so hopefully, people will realize they need to be self-reliant and get their own food and water. I’m sorry to hear about that 55 car pile up. Man, I have seen icy roads and extreme weather and I will not leave my house. Like you said some are workers that must go to work. This is why we must all be prepared. Linda