National Hunger Hotline Stories
Spring 2005

• A woman from Louisiana called the Hotline on behalf of a young neighbor who was working long hours to put himself through school. The student never had enough money for food, but he was too proud to accept what he considered to be handouts from his neighbors. Uncertain of how his status as a student would affect his eligibility for food stamps, we contacted the Food and Nutrition Service, which administers the USDA’s various nutrition programs. We learned that while eligibility guidelines differ from state to state, a low-income student working twenty-five hours a week would generally qualify. We relayed the information to the woman and provided her with the phone number to the local food stamp office.
  
  
• When unexpected unemployment befell a Georgia couple, they decided to move to North Carolina to spend time with their son, who was living in a trailer as he waited to be shipped off to his second tour in Iraq. It was decided that the parents would live in the trailer while the son was away on duty. Upon arriving in North Carolina, however, the mother had a serious car accident which put her in the hospital, leaving the family no choice but to sell the trailer in order to pay off her medical bills. It was at this point that the father called the Hotline. In addition to referring him to several food pantries, we located an emergency shelter that would be able to provide for him and his son while he looked for a job and while his son waited for his steadily-approaching departure.
  
  
• Just hours before the start of the Christmas holiday, a woman from Tennessee called the Hotline. She was stranded in a motel with no money or food, and she had not eaten in two days. She’d been going through the phone book, dialing as many 1-800 numbers as she could find, but given that it was the day before Christmas Eve, everything was closed. After reassuring the woman that we would do what we could, Hotline staff began calling nearby pantries. As with the 1-800 numbers, however, all the pantries were closed. To make matters worse, they were not likely to reopen for several days. We changed tactics and began calling churches in the surrounding area. After numerous failed attempts, we got in touch with a pastor who happened to have an account at a diner across the street from the motel. He said the woman would be able to get a free meal at the diner that very evening, and that if she came to his church the following morning (the church was within walking distance of the motel), he would be able to provide her with more comprehensive assistance.
  
  
• Upon learning that he was about to be evicted from his home, a disabled Florida man called the Hotline for help. The apartment complex where he lived had suffered serious damage during last season’s hurricanes, and while the Federal Emergency Management Agency had provided the building owners with adequate compensation, they had taken it as an opportunity to improve the buildings and raise the rents. Consequently, most of the tenants were being evicted. The man had called several places before calling the Hotline, but given Florida’s post-hurricane housing crisis, he had had no luck. After following empty leads for several hours, Hotline staff finally got in touch with caseworker at an agency for the homeless, who said she would provide him with the referrals necessary for securing a bed at a shelter.