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Food or Rent? More Families Forced to ChooseHow do you pick between paying bills and putting food on the table? It’s a growing trend that one group is trying to fix one grocery bag at a time.Related Content
Thousands of Alaskans are going hungry as families are forced to choose between paying bills and putting food on the table. It’s a growing trend that one group is trying to fix one grocery bag at a time.
The group Fellowship In Serving Humanity, better known as F.I.S.H., delivers food directly to the doorsteps of struggling families all over Anchorage. For more than 40 years, a crew of 75 volunteer shoppers, packers, and delivery drivers have dedicated their time to upholding the F.I.S.H. mission: to help out their fellow neighbors. “If your neighbor came and knocked on your door and said, ‘Can I have some food?’ would you say ‘No. Too bad. Get a job?’” asked F.I.S.H. program coordinator Raissa D’Antonio. Answering her own question, she said people would “just help them.” For the Hansen family, surviving gets tougher every day. “They are cutting back on overtime and then they cut back on what they pay you, so you have to squeeze it tighter,” said Mike Hansen. Rising costs are impacting how much Mike and his wife Dawn can afford to feed their family. “Some months we have to use services like this just to tie ends,” he said. F.I.S.H. volunteers have heard stories like the Hansen’s situation all too often. Even in dual-income households, D’Antonio said she has heard of couples and families struggling to afford food. “When I was paying $700 a month rent, that left me $300 to get through with food and everything,” said Teresa Gundersen, an Anchorage resident who depends on food donations. The group's volunteers are trying to put a dent in solving such a widespread problem. F.I.S.H. delivers emergency food to 60 to 80 families a week to every part of town, including bus stops and work parking lots, to make sure families can eat. Because of such high demand, F.I.S.H. is unable to assist all of the families and individuals seeking food assistance without more food and fund donations. Other agencies that connect food with the hungry are pantries from Catholic Social Services, Lutheran Social Services and the Food Bank of Alaska. |
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saberwardogs said on Tuesday, Oct 4 at 2:56 PM
well Alaskan got just what they voted for socialists in Washington and the Demorats and GOP(RINOS) in our capital. Demorat Moocowski and beggin Begich all they people want is to give hand outs to the unions,and the Teachers along with the oil companys along with the OB club
74775556salmon 64 said on Tuesday, Oct 4 at 3:40 PM
It's sad to see this for me. I called this problem back in 2005. I saw property values rising and and dirty realtors, tellin apartment complex owners that thier buildings were worth thousands of dollars than they were worth. Old Land Lords bailed out of the rental market and the new Land lords overpaid and stuckit to the renters. ie"REALATOR" the new Landords. Funny how GREED leads to so much anguish on the poor!!!!
74776919Lluna said on Tuesday, Oct 4 at 3:44 PM
saberwardogs politicians are only a minor part of the problem, the major problem is Alaska is a safe haven for illegals, you freakin tell me where are the "picking fields" here in Alaska that they always say that's the only jobs they take, BS their taking construction,landscaping and slowly taking warehouse jobs, but since Alaska is such a libTURD state they embrace the illegals instead of sending them back to where ever they came from, and as for those a-holes at Catholic Social Services, they are using tax payers money to bring over "refugees" as if that's not going to make matters worse for real Americans when their using money that should go to our VETs and Americans born here, if the wannabe reporter did his job he would have pointed this out.. hell all of the losers in city hall to the wuss of a governor needs to be fired and replace with people to stop Alaska from being a safe haven for illegals and stop Catholic Social Services bringing over more "refugees"..
74777069Gene Reynolds said on Tuesday, Oct 4 at 5:15 PM
Remember the serfs (peasants) finally over-run the Bastille. It will happen if things don't change.
74780372Don said on Tuesday, Oct 4 at 7:46 PM
Everybody seems to have a smart assed statement to make... Im glad to know they ( F.I.S.H ) are helping the less Fortunate... Every one pushes the Blame .... and dont do crap to help any problem ... You are the one's that would slam the door in your neighbor's face....
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