The headlines, local and national, about
the situation of families in Nairn needing food handouts have gone away but for
those in receipt of the parcels the situation has not gone away at all. In response to the crisis, the
town’s three community councils have donated £100 each to buy food for
Nairn families. This food will be distributed locally and will not leave the
town according to Tommy Hogg at last week’s River CC meeting.
There are those that feel that giving free
food to families is not an appropriate gesture in these troubled times. This
observer would contend that they are a minority in our community but they do
exist. Perhaps those that disagree with food parcels have a stereo-typical
image of social security scrounger in their minds when they articulate their
complaints but poverty in 2012 comes in unconventional forms however, and it
only needs one member of a family, where both parents work, to find themselves
out of a job, for that family to find themselves in distressing circumstances.
Imagine how it must feel to have to go and ask the CAB, the Social Services of
the minister for help in feeding your children? Some people in Nairn are in
need and thanks to the headlines recently in the Nairnshire Telegraph that situation
can no longer be hidden.
An insight into the thinking of those that
are against food parcels was given at that River CC meeting on Tuesday evening
of last week when Cllr Simon Noble related his experiences of earlier that day.
He said:
”I was at a meeting at lunchtime and I talked with some people very, very against the idea of giving out food parcels. Now I don’t agree with that but the fact that there are people in the community who don’t support it because they believe that it is abused by the recipient. It is really important that we are clear what we are donating, why and that we are expecting that it can be accounted for in the way we are making a donation.[…] There will be people in the community who will say that it is not only an empty gesture, it is a futile gesture and its going to all the wrong people.”
”I was at a meeting at lunchtime and I talked with some people very, very against the idea of giving out food parcels. Now I don’t agree with that but the fact that there are people in the community who don’t support it because they believe that it is abused by the recipient. It is really important that we are clear what we are donating, why and that we are expecting that it can be accounted for in the way we are making a donation.[…] There will be people in the community who will say that it is not only an empty gesture, it is a futile gesture and its going to all the wrong people.”
Tommy Hogg said in reply to Simon’s
Statement: “If they can’t take the minister’s word for it these people want to
have a look at themselves.”
3 comments:
Tommy Hogg said in reply to Simon’s Statement: “If they can’t take the minister’s word for it these people want to have a look at themselves.” well said on the above sad that folk have said these things, any one of us could be in need of this help, even more so in todays climate, perhaps these folk will maybe think again on their words.
You cant blame anybody for not taking the ministers words-we have been taking them for a long time now and look at the state of the country.
Not being one to judge to quickly but what is the situation into the criteria in handing out parcels, is there a means test conducted prior to this?, It is factual that being from a poorer background you will be in the bracket where you smoke & drink, there should be test conducted to see and prove that they are not spending what little they have on wasted products prior to being issued free food.....where there is something for nothing then someone will take full advantage..
I fear that knee jerk reaction will lead to people 'Jumping on the bandwagon' where this ic concerned....
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