Commodities Distribution Day

If you are in poverty in the state of Michigan, the commodities distribution program may be the first food aid you will get. But this December's distribution was a little lighter on groceries than the last one, three months ago.

The commodities program is good because it doesn't require the intimidating cart-load of documentation that many are unable to quickly produce. You just sign a sheet--- giving your name and address--- that you verify you meet the income requirements.

It helps to show up early on distribution day, since it is first come, first served, and if you are in need you don't want to miss out. At the hour when the distribution opened at the Senior Citizen Center in Daggett, Michigan, there was already a line out the building door.

Most of the people on line were in the eighty-plus age group. Enough are infirm each month that strong young people are always on hand to carry out the groceries.

The food is given out in bags and boxes, and each household receives the same items. Usually there are three to four bags/boxes of food. This time there were only two bags--- harsh news to the larger families since the distributions are only every three months.

This is the December list of what was in the bags:

1 package spaghetti noodles (2 lb.)
2 cans tomato sauce (sweetened, 15 0z.)
2 cans sweet peas (sweetened, 15 oz)
4 cans pears in light syrup
i bag short-grain rice (2 lb)
1 bottle grape juice, unsweetened (1/2 gallon)
1 quart 1% milk, ultra-pasteurized (can be stored unrefrigerated)
4 cans sweet corn (sweetened, 15 oz.)
1 lb. frozen ground beef

In previous months there have been packages of oatmeal, cold cereal, peanut butter, dried beans, frozen pork patties, canned meat and other items. There have also been unsweetened canned vegetables, and whole grain rotini noodles. You just never know what you might get on commodities day. It's an interesting variety. And I've never yet seen them give out packages of hamburger helper, which seems to be what local food pantries want most, even though one must purchase both hamburger and milk to make it (and the taste is such that I'd hate to waste good hamburger on it).

It must be hard for the people at the head of the program to decide what foods to include. The people who receive it might be elderly and single, or might be a growing young family. And they have different levels of knowledge on how to prepare home-cooked food, and differences in the number of working kitchen appliances they have--- some, for example, may have to cook on a hot plate, or have a tiny refrigerator/freezer or none at all.....

Many of the people in the line were also picking up food for a friend too ill or weak to come themselves. There was conversation in line about what to do with food items one was unable to eat--- many recommended giving it to the local food bank if one wasn't able to give it to a friend in need who could eat it.

People also seemed resigned that sooner or later the commodities program will fall victim to budget cuts. It's a pity they can't cut money somewhere else, like in salaries for state government officials. After some experience with the mountains of red tape involved in most government programs, which confuses even me, I wonder how many people just can't manage to jump through the right hoops to get on food stamps. For the commodities program, all you need to do is show up and fill out the form--- which the volunteers will help you do if you have difficulty.