Ella – Surviving the Recession on food stamps

Monday, July 5th, 2010 at 3:03 pm

Ella has held on to her dignity despite living off food parcels while caring for her children. The Otara mother said the recession is adding to the burden that she already carries. "Two or three years ago, it wasn't [like] this but the struggle we have now - but the power, the water - it is always threatened that they will cut it," Ella said. Her son and daughter, aged 42 and 38 respectively, get out of the house three times a week when they travel to hospital for dialysis. "I've got pride but I swallowed it. Where would I go?" Ella, who did not want to give her last name, said her neighbour now comes over to borrow a glass of milk or some sugar. She said sometimes the neighbour's kids don't go to school because they have no lunch. She said she tries to share her food parcels with her neighbours who are also now in a desperate situation. Ella said the price of food has gone up and she now finds herself looking in the "rejects bin". "I can't buy a bag like I used to. Not only is it expensive, the quality is not as good as it used to," Ella said. Tears came to her eyes as she described opening the door to "an angel" with a food parcel last week. "I tell you, I just stood there to eat. I was so hungry," Ella said. But sometimes it is worse than that. "I go to the cupboard and there is nothing. "Sometimes if it's an orange it is split between the two. Whereas before, it was an orange each, not anymore," Ella said. She said she once had faith in the new National Government but ...

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From: nzheraldtv
Keywords: surviving, the, recession, nz, new, zealand, herald, depression, banking, interest, rates, poor, help, job, loss, redunancy

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