Yes, I can see more thefts are going to happen these days with the economy as people get desperate. The sad thing is that many shoplifters just do it for the sport and have enough money in their pockets to pay.

Makes me think that it will soon be time to give again to our local food pantry. Anytime is a good time to give, but as fall begins & school starts, the pantry starts to empty quickly.
If EVERYONE who can afford to give, gives a few things to their local pantry, I believe there would be an overflow of items for those who need them.
Salgal, it make me sad too.

I watched the 1952 (non-musical) film version of Le Miserables last night. For those who don't know, it's about a man who steals a loaf of bread because he sees five kids who are starving. He's sent to prison for 10 years for his crime. After he gets out of prison he changes his name and becomes quite successful though he makes the mistake of not reporting back once a month as a condition of his parole. Six years goes by and he suddenly finds he's being hunted by a police inspector for parole violation.

So much suffering and pain because of a loaf of bread. In a way, the most powerful scene in the movie was when the sentencing judge in the beginning of the story tells the bailiff to get rid of the evidence and the loaf of bread gets unceremoniously dumped in the trash.

When I hear about someone being arrested for shoplifting something needed for simple quality of life, I worry about what the ripple effect that arrest will be on so many people.

I hope the woman in your story Salgal is able to find the help she needs.

Jodi-

My husband was once arrested for shoplifting when he was a college student. He WAS actually hiding a package of balogna which he had stolen, but he was arrested for stealing some pens which rightfully belonged to him. He went before the judge, told the truth, the judge gave him a stern warning and let him go. He learned his lesson. Anyone who steals food or dushsoap must be very hard up. My daughter once got caught shoplifting some nail polish. The store owner caught her and banned her from the store. She is still afraid to go back there.

My heart about breaks when people are caught stealing necessities, I consider it proof that our assistance program is out of whack. Folks can buy candy, chips and soda with food stamps but they cannot get toilet paper or soap, there's something wrong with that. I always thought that there should be vouchers for meat, veggies, fruit, soap, laundry detergent and so forth. That way people could get what they need, not what they can sell.

Toni, you are so right. Here in our area the food kitchen and pantries get hit very hard in summer because the kids are not in school so they cannot take advantage of the school lunch programs.

There but for the grace of God go I. And I'm not kidding.

I live right across the street from a very large park. I'm talking miles of trees and walking area. Like all dog walkers we see a lot in the park and noticed hidden very deep in some thick trees and bushes were some homeless people. A family of 6 we figured out. After a while we discovered that each of us were taking food to them so coordinated our efforts. A woman in my building noticed this from her window and called the police and was very proud that they "flushed them out."
I am furious and have told her off in my head a million times. Does she think these folks chose to live outside in the heat and rain. The shelter is packed full always. So, I believe it is better to have an open mind and if you see somebody who is shoplifting food perhaps ask them if they need a little money.Or don't ask just give it to them and say nothing more. We all have good judgment about who we would do this for.

Ellie45, What a beautiful gesture you and your friends made for this unfortunate family. As for the nasty neighbor i oh, so hope there is such a thing as Karma!!
We had a C-store in Mt, and one day there was a guy walking around the store looking at things on the shelf. I approached him and asked him If I could help him find what he needed. He kind of stammered a bit, then said it was just him and a young son, and he was unemployed, couldn't find a job and his unemployment check wouldn't start till the following week. They were out of food. He sounded sincere, so I gave him some milk, bread sand. meat, cheese and mayo. Also a box of cereal, and some other stuff, hoping it would tide them over. He thanked me and left, and I figured that was the last I'll see of him. The next week he came in, he had gotten his check and had came in to pay for the food. He also told me when he was in that first day, he was thinking of trying to steal some food, but was scared of what would happen to his son if he got arrested. I told him I appreciated his honesty and gave him his money back, thinking if he paid for last weeks food, he would start the week that much behind. He stopped in often just to say hello and one day he was pleased to say he had gotten employment and things were looking up for he and his son. Some times people just need a little hand up to get their lives on the right track.
If people are stealing just for the thrill of it, I say throw the book at them, but if it is a hardship case, give a helping hand.

Ellie45 and Dotmom, what terrific stories. I usually see the other side of it - people shoplifting half a dozen steaks to re-sell.

Wonderful story, Dotmom.

Dotmom. you made me cry. It is just the story I needed to hear. I have seen the newest rage of mob stealing in small stores, and I'm sure you can relate to the owners. How horrifying it is. These kids - I just don't know what to do with them. Scary.

The reason that ppl cannot buy soap & Toilet paper with Food Stamps is because Foodstamps is not a welfare program. Foodstamps is in fact a farm subsidy program administered by the U.S. Dept. of Agricultur.

I remember when I was in High School they did not have food stamps for needy ppl. Instead they had what was called the "Commodities Program". The federal government was buying surplus grain, produce and meats and had it processed and/or canned in plain brown bags or plain steel cans that just had a black print label to tell you what was in the container. The commodities were then distributed through the local welfare office to needy ppl. In those days it was a bag of flour, bag of rice, Powdeered milk, Bags if breakfast cerial, oatmeal, canned pork or beef, lard, and a few cans of veggies. They also got coupons that they could take to the grocery to buy fresh meats, but the coupons specified what type and cut they could get.

In the early 60's somebody realized that it was costing the government a small fortune to operate the canneries and processing facilities, not to mention the cost of transportation, warehousing and distribution of the commodities. They then hit upon the idea that they could issue books of cash vouchers and allow the ppl to shop at the local grocery store. The end result would be the same, it was a way that the government could subsidize farm prices by subsidizing the needy to purchase foodstuffs.

In recent years the government has again got with the times and instead of going to all the expense and bother of printing vouchers they now issue a debit card that can only be used to purchase foodstuffs.

I belong to a very small non-denominational church and our mission is to maintain a homeless shelter for up to 25 men on a long term rehab. While staying in the shelter the men have to actively seek work and once they are employed we require that they establish a savings account and set aside 10% of their earnings each week until they have a small nestegg to help them get back into society.

In addition, we have an outreach program which is a food pantry.

We are very fortunate to have some major grocery stores and one large commercial food warehouse that supports our mission by giving us their scratch & dents for distribution.

About a year ago I was discussing the whole project with a local grocery store manager and I mentioned my concern that ppl can get food stamps and we pass out food, but what do these ppl do for other necessities such as toilet paper, laundry soap, bath soap or dishwashing soap? He said, I never really thought of that before, let me see what I can do.

A week later he called the church and said he was sending a small truckload of stuff for us. A van truck about the size of a rider rental arrived and it was loaded about 1/2 full of groceries, and the other half was all the soap products and TP we had discussed. Now for every food order we pass out we include 6rolls of TP, 3 bars of bath soap, a box of laundry soap and a bottle of dishwashing soap.

The first time we passed the soap out I was at the church to help, and I almost cried when a young lady came up and literally kissed me on the cheek to thank me for the soap.

In the fall (around Christmas) churches and other organizations conduct food drives. I clean out my pantry and give cans of tuna and soup and jars of peanut butter. Now I'll include a bottle of dish soap, even if I have to purchase extra. Can you buy pet food with Food Stamps? Doesn't seem fare that pets will starve.

That's wonderful, Lazypup. I'm with Jannie - I'll include soap with my donations in the future.

Ah, pet food. I just read that local Meals On Wheels is delivering pet food to people who can't afford to feed a pet. The article said the delivery people had discovered that some recipients of meals were stinting on their own food (and meds) to feed Fido.

No one needs to steal.There are so many food pantries out there if you just ask someone.People take the easy way out and sometimes it"s not the right way.Some people steal just because they think they can get away with it.if you have no food you should not be ashamed to stand in the food line.My father had us on relief in the "thirthies" and we made it .