Unprecedented need for food banks here in the UK...yes the UK - is a disgrace!

Agreed Ron cans of beer are not essential items of sustenance but in some cases it will dull the anxiety.

Each county should have work centres ( not work houses ) were by people could attend wash and obtain clothing to make themselves presentable for interviews to obtain work.

If no work is suitable for them kit them out with work wear, reflective jackets and plastic bags send them out to clean the waste paper that litters the streets for which they would get paid.

Have a look at this video for forward thinking for employment and getting people back in the system.

 http://dumpest.com/she-gave-a-homeless-woman-a-coat-and-got-yelled-at-her-response-is-brilliant-and-inspiring/

People have just got to understand there are no free meal tickets in this world.  

Maybe these freddie free-loaders need to learn from the scouts, you can stay for free at any of their camps if you want..... as you get older...provided you repay it back by doing some service work fo some kind. Our neighbor down the street, an gal...earn her way through the summer as an teacher to younger scout on how to swim. She is now in another state...every summer, running her own 4-H summer camp. My grandaughter was with her last summer helping with younger kids there.

I've had neighbors I really didn' t like, I came home from work on day to find them washing thier car in our driveway with out hose an water...the never asked me if they wee allowed to do so.  Other neighbors have been real "God sends" to me in ways. It depends on the person. I don't like people visting all the time every day and very few of us here have the time to do it...but we do talk to each other when we get the chance...and I don't mind sharing an small insignifcant gift if I have the money and am not required to do it. If there were ever an disaster, which I certainly hope not...it's your neighbors that may be the first one's to you to help you in an emergency...they need to know who you are, and something about you..if for any reason...what if you were unconscious....all my neighbors know if they ever see me fall on the street and not get up..call 911 immediately, as it could be an heart problem.  When my great aunt had her stroke down in California, she was able to get herself stopped along side the road...she died there and it's my understanding from the time they found her and got her to an hospital...she had been stripped of her ID, her jewerly, her purse and anything they  could take. It is an shame when "America" stoops so low to do something like this. Had she had an nieghbor or an friend it might of been averted possibly.

As for the food situation...even Europe use to have streets lined with fruit trees, and people could pick on them..... headed into town... when they were hungry... without to much  tado on it....what happened to them? It is easy for those whom do not know others to judge them. Because we live in an world of picking each other apart to compete in life. If I have an bountiful harvest in something I feel no squalms about sharing stuff. I've given my nieghbors fresh tomatoes out of my garden, flower arrangments, herbs, berries...naturally this is after my needs have been met at the time. If I have an bountiful harvest is it not better to share then to let it go to rot? I would think so. This is what I was getting to..there was an "time" when everything was bountiful on planet earth. It's not that way now, because we are not keeping up the planet correctly. So those whom have nothing, have no place to go but to their fellow mankind...some might have it, others don't.  He who is wise would plant for an harvest...and if he didn't use it himself...it would be nothing for him to share with others..rather then see it wasted. We need to get back to those times.... so the least have something for survivalbilty...if they need it.  You never know when it might include yourself someday, for some reason. Stop lording over others they are poverty stricken burdens in life, because "God" never made us to be so...but he has given us the abilty to decide how we want to live also, if it includes others or not...to what degree.. and how we maintain ourselves with others and give back when we are given.  Are we equal giving partners in the world or not. Because if we aren't prepare for an all out battle of competion of whose the strongest, meanest, and self-serving.

sk lawson from the USA says " Are we equal giving partners in the world or not. Because if we aren't prepare for an all out battle of competion of whose the strongest, meanest, and self-serving."

sk hits the nail sqauely on the head! It is getting this way in Australia with an ultra-conservative government (read, stongest, meanest and self-serving) in power.

Having been in Washington DC in May 2014, it was shameful and disgraceful to have a young man, well dressed and kempt, begging in the subway entrance for money so he could afford a prothesis for his severed arm . I agree with you sk lawson: I know that there are many like you in the USA, but I do wonder about the rest of your compatriots, who are not kind, compassionate and unable to see beyond thie own comfortable lifestyles. Do not get me started: Australia, at the moment, is going the same way.