The Chow Line Top Story
Rising Unemployment Means Veterans Have a Hard Time Getting By
Published May 5th, 2010
Utica, New York was once a booming city
that prospered from manufacturing and agriculture. Today, like
many areas of the country, Utica suffers from an unemployment rate that
is close to 10% with nearly 12,000 local people looking for jobs.
For many Veterans in this hard-hit area, putting food on the table is
much more difficult than it once was.
A U.S. Army Veteran, Joe, served his country for nearly twenty years and is currently unemployed. As he looks for work, Joe struggles to bring food home to his family. Following a tip from a friend, four months ago Joe walked into the Feed Our Vets Food Pantry in downtown Utica and found the help he needed.
“At times you need that little extra help from month to month so you can just get by with your family. For someone like myself – I still have a sixteen year old at home – things have definitely been tough in today’s economy. As for the Feed Our Vets Food Pantry, it is definitely the number one factor for me and my family in staying above water.”
He is not alone in his praise for Feed Our Vets. Eddie, a Vietnam-era Veteran said, “If you are a Veteran, they will take care of you, they will do anything to help. It is sad that we have to come down here, but this is a great program that really makes a difference for us.” It was the first time that Army Veteran Syrus, who suffers from chronic lung problems, has come to a Feed Our Vets pantry. “I was surprised. They kept wanting me to take more, and it is the same food that I am eating at home. Thankfully, now I won’t have to rely on my daughter to come and bring me food.”
The Feed Our Vets Food Pantry fills a critical need in the community and the demand for its services are growing as more and more Veterans return home from Iraq and Afghanistan.
As Joe said, “The sad part is that a lot of Veterans come back and they don’t like to admit that they need some help.”
Because Feed Our Vets is staffed by fellow Veterans, the organization finds itself in a unique position to reach out to Veterans in need. Despite problems of their own, nearly all of the Veterans that come to the Feed Our Vets Food Pantry share a common desire to help their fellow Veterans.
“Veterans should not be kicked under the table and forgotten,” said Joe. “They should all have this opportunity for help. They served for us, for our freedom, and it’s our turn to give back to them for the sacrifices they made. Some Veterans need that extra help and Feed Our Vets is a great resource. I am not just speaking for myself. I am speaking for the Veterans that came before me and those that will come after.”
Rich Synek – A Postmaster with a Critical Mission
Rich Synek is the Postmaster in the small upstate New York town of Vernon Center Read full story