Watermelon at "the corner"

My head is still reeling with thoughts, impressions and experiences I've enjoyed the past two weeks at "the corner" of Malcolm X and Dawson Street.

Every week magic manages to break out on the porch of the abandoned house that's nestled under a big shade tree.

This afternoon I engaged in amazing conversations.  More on that in future posts.

But what made today special was the watermelon we shared.

Actually, a woman who came by carrying a big watermelon shared it with all of us.

It seemed like Jesus feeding the 5,000 with the loaves and fishes!  That watermelon went a long way.  Everyone was invited to take a piece and everyone did.

I suppose you would need to be present to fully appreciate the dynamic of what happened.

So beautiful.

So full of peace.

So about hope.

More later.

Hmmm. . . .what if homeless persons owned a can, plastic, paper recycling business?  As I say, more to come.

People are amazing.

1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Partnerships remain essential

Recently, Bank of America featured CitySquare in a national advertising campaign spotlighting a number of their community partnerships.

I've had a few folks tell me they saw us on the Dallas Cowboys' game last week!

You can take a look at the video stream here!  Tells a good story.

Reactions are always welcome.

Here's how to fix the economy

This is really on target!

How To Fix The Economy... In One Simple Chart

Henry Blodget | Aug. 22, 2012, 8:39 AM 

Henry Blodget is CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Business Insider.

 To read the article click here.

Really? Seriously?

^"So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions." 

--Jesus

Luke 14:33

Forgetting

I've been known to buy a drunk a drink.

It happened first on the street in New Orleans almost thirty years ago. My now, how time gets away!

The man approached me and said, "I'm not going to lie to you. I need a drink."

Taken back by his total honesty, I congratulated him for his truthfulness and stepped off the street into a bar and bought him a beer. And yes, I was a preacher at the time.

I've always been partial to people who tell me the truth about themselves, no matter where that takes us. So, across the years I've invested time and money in relieving the thirst of more than a few folks who honestly just needed a drink.

Too bad I hadn't discovered earlier the wisdom of Proverbs on this subject. Not that I share this tendency of mine with everyone, at least not until now. But, the wisdom of ancient Israel does help me just here.

When you have time, take a look at Proverbs 31:4-9.

What you'll find is guidance on who should drink and who shouldn't.

To cut to the conclusion: political leaders should avoid alcohol, but the poor should be given a drink from time to time to relieve their misery and help them forget their poverty. I promise that is what the passage says.

You see, rulers, the politicos need clear heads just to remember all the laws they have passed. If they drink, they may forget the good public policy they've crafted while sober. The results of such stupor would not be good for the oppressed and the poor (see verse 5 especially).

Interesting, huh?

The clear implication is that leaders enact laws that protect the weak.

Now there is a novel idea!

In Texas and in Washington far too often our leaders approve legislation designed to crush the poor, or so it seems out here in reality land. Only after passing laws that do nothing to assist the poor and needy do they hit the pubs. Maybe they reverse the order so they won't have to think about what they've actually done!

The poor, on the other hand, should be given "strong drink" (verse 6). This counsel assumes that a drink helps when you are perishing or in distress. If you need insight for interpreting "perishing" or "distress," drive downtown and look around.

Evidently the Jewish wise man who wrote this understood that beer and wine help poor folks forget their poverty and their misery (verse 7).

I guess that's why lots of crushed people with no real options feel the need for a drink. I don't think I'm being unkind when I observe that many religious people don't understand very well the world of the poor.

The wise man of Proverbs wraps up his homily on strong drink with clear, direct words about the work of leaders and, I would assume, people of faith who know the heart of God:

"Speak out for those who cannot speak, for the rights of all the destitute. Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy" (31:8-9).

At the risk of really being written off, let me add, I'll drink to that!

[Editor's note:  this post first appeared on June 1, 2005.]

Connection

Our Unique Brokenness

Our brokenness reveals something about who we are. Our sufferings and pains are not simply bothersome interruptions of our lives; rather, they touch us in our uniqueness and our most intimate individuality. The way I am broken tells you something unique about me. The way you are broken tells me something unique about you. That is the reason for my feeling very privileged when you freely share some of your deep pain with me, and that is why it is an expression of my trust in you when I disclose to you something of my vulnerable side. Our brokenness is always lived and experienced as highly personal, intimate and unique.

Life of the Beloved

Henri J. M. Nouwen

Failed tour, but incredible conversation

A couple of weeks ago I was sitting at the corner on "the porch" and I had a good visit with my homeless friend, Buck. 

He asked me what we did at CitySquare and I tried to answer him. 

As we talked, I threw out the offer, "Buck, I need to take you on a tour of CitySquare so you could see firsthand what we do!"

Last week, Buck reminded me of my offer. 

"When are we going to do that tour, Larry?" he asked.

I pulled out my calendar.

"How about next Wednesday at 11:30?" I offered.

"I'll be here," he said.  And, as he was leaving about an hour later, he reminded me of the tour date. 

So, on Wednesday at 11:30, I show up.  Ironically, I left the offices of one of the wealthiest men in Dallas to connect  with Buck, one of the poorest.

No Buck. 

No telling what happened to delay or block him.  I'm sure I'll find out when I see him next.  I pray he is okay. 

As I waited on him to show up, another gentleman who I know approached me.  In 5 minutes he poured out his heart. 

"I need you to know that I'm working hard to get my heart right to get away from this corner," he explained. 

"I'm working at my church to get my soul strong so I can pull away from all of this," he went on. 

We talked for a good while.  I offered him the housing resources of CitySquare and we made plans for him to come by our offices Downtown to get his name on the "waiting list" to get into an apartment.  I really believe he will follow through.  He is such a good man.

And, he understands respect and community and the role of faith in life. 

I know I'll see Buck again.  We will have our tour. 

But, the visit I had with my other friend was a visit that was supposed to happen.

Know what I mean?

CitySquare at Park Cities Rotary Club

Rev. Larry James August 10, 2012 from The Rotary Club of Park Cities on Vimeo.

Dallas 2024???

Already a group of Dallas folks are hard at work on a bid for the 2024 Olympics! If developed properly with determined sensitivity to existing communities, a winning bid could be leveraged to renew areas of Dallas like South Dallas-Fair Park. What do you think? Note: listen for a big Dallas mention toward the end

of the video report below:

 

Willie memories. . .

From Rolling Stone August 13, 2012 9:00 AM

Master storyteller Willie Nelson revisits his past in the video for "A Horse Called Music," a hat tip to his 1989 album A Horse Called Music and a reimagining of its title track.

In the clip, Nelson strides through the countryside, finds the chapel where he was married, rides through the small town center and watches an old film. This version of Wayne Carson's song is warmer than Nelson's original cover, meandering peacefully in place of the earlier version's emotional strain.

Merle Haggard and Willie's son, Lukas, also join in on the track. "A Horse Called Music" is from Nelson's album Heroes, which was released in May.  Read more.

Learn about youth "aging out" of foster care

How hot can it get???

Inner city, Old East Dallas, what a trip!

Medical experts differ with Gov. Perry on Medicaid policy

Last week's edition of the Dallas Business Journal published a front page article explaining why Dallas area hospital leaders disagree with Texas Governor Rick Perry's opposition to expanding Medicaid care with increased federal funding.  Here's what they had to say:

Hospitals say Medicaid expansion is critical

by Bill Hethcock, Staff Writer and Matt Joyce, Staff Writer

Date: Friday, August 3, 2012, 5:00am CDT - Last Modified: Thursday, August 2, 2012, 1:16pm CDT 

Gov. Rick Perry’s rejection of Medicaid expansion in Texas will shift costs to the privately insured, increase uncompensated care expenses and raise mortality rates, all while more uninsured patients crowd North Texas emergency rooms.

That’s the consensus of hospital industry leaders in the Dallas-Fort Worth area about the impact of Perry’s decision to spurn $70 billion from the federal government to expand Medicaid in a way that would make more Texans eligible for the program.

Click here to read the entire report.

Porch Journal

Last Thursday turned out to be the hottest day of the summer.  The thermometer hit 108 at some point in the afternoon.

As usual, I made my way to "the porch" of the abandoned house where I hang out every Thursday that I'm in town.  I carried with me an ice chest of bottled water.  I sat down to wait for people to pass by.  One indicator of the heat's impact:  I passed along about 100 bottles of water during the two to two-and-a-half hours of my visit.

Activity and interaction remained almost constant as I sat there or stood to greet friends and new people.

One young man talked incessantly about everything and nothing.  I really couldn't understand his "speech," but he clearly felt the need to be heard.  I understand that, don't you?

His mood swung wildly during the hour or so that he stayed with us.  At times he sounded very angry, almost frightening.  Then he would lapse into laughter and sweetness.  My buddy, Art, tried to interpret the speech for me.

"He's a real good country boy, Larry," Art shared.  "He just doesn't feel like anyone is paying attention to him."  

A large  part of the man's "speech" had to do with his needing and wanting a job, a common theme of the conversations I have weekly.

At one point, I sat down beside him to listen more closely.

"How long are you guys going to be here," he asked at one point.

We told him we would be moving along fairly soon.

He laughed.

"I know you are a preacher, but I was hoping someone could watch my things while I walked to that liquor store!" he confessed with a broad smile and a big laugh.

"What makes you think I'm a preacher?" I asked, amazed myself.

"Cause you are doing right out here," he replied.

I told him not to be too sure about my "rightness."  I didn't watch his stuff, nor did I take him to the liquor store.  I did tell him that I'd see him again, and I expect that I will.

At one point in my visit another man asked, "Are you a Christian?"

"I try to be," I replied.

"It's not about what you do," he instructed me.  "It's about what's inside you."

I agreed with him.

"I knew you were a believer.  You have no fear.  You're fearless," he told me.

"Fearless?  You mean out here?" I asked.

"Yes, you're fearless, you don't fear anything external," he explained.

"What's to be afraid of," I asked.  "Just good people here," I continued.

The man shook his head.

Great learning here.

One, everyone wants to be heard, to have their story known, appreciated, respected and not ignored.

Two, no one wants to be regarded as someone to be feared.

Barriers are all about not understanding, about insecurity and about fear.  Most based in lies, almost all unnecessary.

I saw so much care-taking, so much community out on that corner, all around "the porch" last Thursday.

Before I left I told Art, "You have real community here.  All you lack are places to live."  

"You're right," he said enthusiastically.

As I was leaving, a man who had been sitting there the entire time asked for another bottle of water.  I gladly gave it to him, my last bottle.

Just as I turned to leave another man ran up the sidewalk toward me.

"Hey, brother, can I have a bottle of water?" he shouted.

"I'm fresh out," I explained.  "You can get you some ice from my chest," I told him.

The man who had received my last bottle spoke up,"No, here you go, brother.  You can have this one, I've already had some," he said as he handed the water over.

Community lives on that corner and on that porch.

Thanks, Billy!

Now all we need are more housing resources.  Remember:  shelters are not housing.

Grant, my friend

Grant Wells and I have known each other for almost 18 years. 

Grant was among the first community volunteers who helped see that low-income families received the supplemental food they needed as they worked hard to keep their families going.  Grant unloaded trucks, stocked shelves, cleaned the floors and did whatever else that we asked of him. 

Grant is a very good guy. 

But a series of problems and issues fell on this man's life, resulting in deepening poverty and debilitating homelessness. 

For years we've attempted to help him find stable housing.  No need to rehearse the whole story here.

Last week the world changed for Grant! 

He signed a lease on an apartment, a home of his own. 

Jesus once claimed that he had come to "preach good news to the poor."  I can tell you the news conveyed to Grant that he now has a home surely satisfies the call of that claim.  What news could be better to a man who has slept on the streets of Dallas for years? 

I had to share a few photos of my buddy. Special thanks to Jonathan Grace, one of CitySquare's great AmeriCorps members and to our Homeless Outreach Team for doing such good work in partnership with Grant.

The forgotten. . .

From the hymnal of Israel:

The poor can run to you

because you are a fortress

in times of trouble.

Psalm 9:9

The poor and the homeless

won't always be forgotten

and without hope.

Psalm 9:18

People, morals and budgets

As many leaders from the faith community have stated recently, budgets are moral documents.  How we decide to spend and plan to spend resources impacts people in various ways both good and bad. 

It appears we stand at a crossroads moment of decision.  Will we appropriate the resources necessary to promote opportunity, education, progress and fairness?  Or, will we slash, cut and destroy program after program that moves us forward as a nation and a society? 

Budgets reflect choices. 

Budgets affect people .

Budgets spotlight what we value. 

Budget discussions now underway in Washington and in Austin will have clear outcomes in the inner city communities/neighborhoods of Dallas, Texas.  The decisions made over the next year will set the course for entire segments of our population in this city.  For this reason, I'm compelled to talk about the current budget battle. 

Congressman Raul Ryan (R-WI) put forward a budget that, if adopted, will wipe out much needed resources for Texas and for Dallas.  In fact, the Ryan budget proposes cuts to the federal budget three times larger than the automatic cuts already set for January 2013! 

Our poorest neighbors will suffer most. Our children will suffer.  In fact, we will all be affected in a negative way. 

Here's what the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities said about the Ryan plan: 

Reducing Federal Deficits Without a Significant Revenue Increase Would Cost Texas Billions

If significant new revenue isn’t included, efforts to reduce federal deficits would almost certainly damage Texas’ economic recovery and future economic growth by drastically cutting federal investments in schools, roads and bridges, safe communities, and disaster relief.

The House-passed budget from Congressman Paul Ryan is an example of the kind of approach Congress would take if it rejects deficit reduction that includes revenues. Under Ryan’s plan, Texas would lose an estimated 22 percent or $2 billion in federal funding for education, clean water, law enforcement, and other state and local services in 2014 alone.

According to a report released yesterday by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a non-partisan policy research organization based in Washington, D.C., Ryan’s plan also would shift other very large costs to states by reducing sharply federal funding for Medicaid (in addition to repealing the health reform law), and likely by cutting deeply funding for highway construction and other transportation projects.

Deficit-reduction shouldn’t come at the expense of Texas’ economic future. If Congress doesn’t take a balanced approach that includes revenues as well as spending cuts it will damage our ability to educate our children, build roads and bridges, and have clean water and safe communities – all key elements of a strong future economy.

Federal funding for states, counties, and cities very likely would be decimated by an unbalanced approach to deficit reduction in the next decade. That’s because there’s broad bipartisan agreement that significant deficit reduction is needed, but federal policy makers also agree in broad terms that deficit-reduction savings from other major parts of the budget – defense, Medicare and Social Security – should be limited during that period. Federal funding for states and local areas would thus be one of the few remaining sources of large potential savings.

These cuts likely would bring federal aid to state and local governments to historic lows. By 2021, under the Ryan budget, federal grant programs for states, counties, and cities likely would be less than half the average of the last 35 years.

These cuts would add to deep cuts Congress already made to state and local aid last year and deep cuts that Texas made in 2011 to education and other state services vital to economic growth. The $5.3 billion cut in state aid for pre-K-12 public schools has already reduced local school district staffing by more than 25,000 jobs, with more cuts expected for the 2012-13 school year. State budget cuts to Medicaid provider rates have endangered health access for low-income Texans, with only 31 percent of Texas physicians now willing to accept all new Medicaid patients, down from 67 percent in 2000.

___________________________________

This is important analysis. 

Budgets affect people. 

Severe budget cuts affect the poorest, weakest, most vulnerable people most severely. 

Take the time to read the full report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities here. 

Our challenge today is not only economic, it's moral and extremely human as well.

Health Care Reform. . .explained

Surrender

All That Really Belongs to Us

If we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belong to us, so it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of persons we are. And it is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of humanity, is to sacrifice ourselves for something higher--that which we believe in and love deeply.

Cesar Chavez

Heavenly endorsement of peaceful games?

Health Care Reform and CitySquare

Watch the CNN video below.  Then, read the full report.  You'll learn about Project Access Dallas (PAD) as a community solution to increasing need. 

CitySquare was a founding partner of PAD. 

Currently, we provide health navigation services to PAD patients in Dallas County. 

Edd Eason leads our great team of community health workers!


 

Costumbres Peligrosas

Kathy Bennett, our social work director at Community Health Services here at CtiySquare sent me the following information about a novella (soap opera) that our team produced with the help of our AmeriCorps team and an ExxonMobil intern.  I think you'll find this creative piece most encouraging.  We'll let you know when the finished product is set to air--complete with sub-titles!

We are using our ExxonMobil intern to direct this educational film in Spanish in the form of a Spanish novella (Soap opera.) We think this format is more interesting and appealing to the people we serve.


The completed video will have subtitles in English. I am happy with the response of our clinic family in all the help the patients and staff have given for this to be a success.  Almost everyone in the video is a patient and everyone associated with it except for the interns are volunteers. We have a long list for the credits of people to thank. I would love to hear what you think of the trailer. Of course we are all hoping the video is as good as the trailer.

ROI: Be Careful What You Cut!

Why cuts to Tax Credits cost us all


When it comes to fixing the deficit, be careful what you cut.

Eliminating the Earned Income Tax Credit now would increase child poverty by 23 percent in the future.

And since poor children are more likely to drop out of high school, they are less likely to find steady work as adults.

Not to mention that paying for each year of high school dropouts costs us more than $125 billion over the course of their lifetimes.

.

Who in the world???

Can you guess who these guys are?
 

Payday Lenders Move Loans to Avoid Law

As I've noted on this page in the past, Rev. Gerald Britt leads the way in the public policy work orchestrated by CitySquare.  Among the issues we've tackled is the impact of payday lenders on low-income persons and households. 

Earlier this year the Dallas City Council, led by Council Member Jerry Allen, passed two of the most restrictive payday lending ordinances in the nation.  We are most grateful for Mr. Allen's leadership on this crucial issue.

Now, to avoid compliance with the new laws, payday lending companies are moving their loans into suburban offices where the limits on operations are not yet in place. 

You will be able to view a report by WFAA Channel 8 on the issue and recent developments here or in the frame below. 

The fight continues!

Poverty--understanding scale

The following appeared in Blacklisted News.  Lots to think about here!

100 Million Poor People In America And 39 Other Facts About Poverty That Will Blow Your Mind
July 25, 2012

Source: Michael Snyder, BLN Contributing Writer

Every single day more Americans fall into poverty. This should deeply alarm you no matter what political party you belong to and no matter what your personal economic philosophy is. Right now, approximately 100 million Americans are either “poor” or “near poor.”  For a lot of people “poverty” can be a nebulous concept, so let’s define it. 

The poverty level as defined by the federal government in 2010 was $11,139 for an individual and $22,314 for a family of four. Could you take care of a family of four on less than $2000 a month? Millions upon millions of families are experiencing a tremendous amount of pain in this economy, and no matter what “solutions” we think are correct, the reality is that we all should have compassion on them. Sadly, things are about to get even worse. . . .

The following are 40 facts about poverty in America that will blow your mind….

#1 In the United States today, somewhere around 100 million Americans are considered to be either “poor” or “near poor”.

#2 It is being projected that when the final numbers come out later this year that the U.S. poverty rate will be the highest that it has been in almost 50 years.

#3 Approximately 57 percent of all children in the United States are living in homes that are either considered to be either “low income” or impoverished.

#4 Today, one out of every four workers in the United States brings home wages that are at or below the poverty level.

#5 According to the Wall Street Journal, 49.1 percent of all Americans live in a home where at least one person receives financial benefits from the government. Back in 1983, that number was below 30 percent.

#6 It is projected that about half of all American adults will spend at least some time living below the poverty line before they turn 65.

#7 Today, there are approximately 20.2 million Americans that spend more than half of their incomes on housing. That represents a 46 percent increase from 2001.

#8 During 2010, 2.6 million more Americans fell into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.

#9 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of “very poor” rose in 300 out of the 360 largest metropolitan areas during 2010.

#10 Since Barack Obama became president, the number of Americans living in poverty has risen by 6 million and the number of Americans on food stamps has risen by 14 million.

#11 Right now, one out of every seven Americans is on food stamps and one out of every four American children is on food stamps.

#12 It is projected that half of all American children will be on food stamps at least once before they turn 18 years of age.

#13 The poverty rate for children living in the United States is 22 percent, although when the new numbers are released in the fall that number is expected to go even higher.

#14 One university study estimates that child poverty costs the U.S. economy 500 billion dollars a year.

#15 Households that are led by a single mother have a 31.6% poverty rate.

Continue reading here.

A real welcome!

I picked this up from Jon Acuff's blog page (Stuff Christians Like).  This is the sort of church that connects with people at a very deep level over time. 

What do you think?

Here's what “Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Community” prints in its church buletin as a way to let people know what they are all about: 

We extend a special welcome to those who are single, married, divorced, gay, filthy rich, dirt poor, yo no habla Ingles. We extend a special welcome to those who are crying new-borns, skinny as a rail or could afford to lose a few pounds.

We welcome you if you can sing like Andrea Bocelli or like our pastor who can’t carry a note in a bucket. You’re welcome here if you’re “just browsing,” just woke up or just got out of jail. We don’t care if you’re more Catholic than the Pope, or haven’t been in church since little Joey’s Baptism.

We extend a special welcome to those who are over 60 but not grown up yet, and to teenagers who are growing up too fast. We welcome soccer moms, NASCAR dads, starving artists, tree-huggers, latte-sippers, vegetarians, junk-food eaters. We welcome those who are in recovery or still addicted. We welcome you if you’re having problems or you’re down in the dumps or if you don’t like “organized religion,” we’ve been there too.

If you blew all your offering money at the dog track, you’re welcome here. We offer a special welcome to those who think the earth is flat, work too hard, don’t work, can’t spell, or because grandma is in town and wanted to go to church.

We welcome those who are inked, pierced or both. We offer a special welcome to those who could use a prayer right now, had religion shoved down your throat as a kid or got lost in traffic and wound up here by mistake. We welcome tourists, seekers and doubters, bleeding hearts … and you!

When poverty was a real concern. . .

These days, politicians and public officials seldom make an issue out of the concerns, needs and tough issues facing poor and low-income persons.

That has not always been the case in American politics. Here's a campaign ad from 1964.

How do you think it would play today?

 
 

Senior Citizens and Food Stamps

The following report appeared in The Houston Chronicle.  Critics of the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) seldom consider the benefit of the program to hungry, low-income persons, as well as to the overall local economy. 

More Texas seniors receiving food stamps

Cindy Horswell and Re, Houston ChronicleCopyright 2012 Houston Chronicle. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

By Cindy Horswell and Renèe C. Lee

Monday, July 16, 2012

At age 64, Paulette Lanius is a "Golden Boomer" - one of the 76 million American babies born after World War II, a legacy of the legions of men and women described as the Greatest Generation.

But the future for this Houston woman and thousands of other seniors appears to be far from great.
The fastest-growing group of Texans receiving food stamps is the 60-64 age bracket. In the past six years, those residents receiving food assistance - now issued in the form of a benefit debit card - has jumped by 106 percent to 85,000 as of this month, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The total number of recipients from all age groups has increased 58 percent.

Authorities say seniors now applying for food stamps often complain of losing their retirement nest eggs in the economic downturn and finding their age to be a distinct disadvantage in finding work. Increasing food prices are also a factor.

Lanius, who once earned a comfortable $65,000 a year as an office manager for a small oil company, was used to donating items to charitable organizations like Second Blessing in west Houston.

'Humbling experience'
But now for the first time in her life, she has not only become a beneficiary of others' generosity at Second Blessing, but she was also enrolled in the food stamp program there. "It's a very humbling experience," she said. "I never dreamed I'd be doing this."

After working nearly 18 years for the same company, she was laid off about two years ago when her employer went into receivership after a storm destroyed two oil platforms. She has not been able to land a steady job since then, forcing her to file early for Social Security and spend through her savings.

"I recently applied for a job at a frozen yogurt store. They'll probably look at the old salary listed on my resume and laugh," she said. "Employers look at people like me and think we'll only work a couple years longer which is not true."

She also represents those boomers identified as the "sandwich generation," because they help support their grown children and aging parents. In her case, her daughter lost her job and moved back home with four children.

Betsy Ballard, spokeswoman for the Houston Food Bank that serves southeast Texas, said her agency has not just seen an onslaught of boomer clients hitting area food banks but many of these people are also applying for food stamps.

107 percent increase
In the past eight months, her agency has interviewed 641 people in their 60s who applied for the debit card. This represents a 107 percent increase over the number that had applied during the same period a year earlier.

"We see this as a fairly significant change since the number of total applications we've filled out for all age groups has shrunk by 1,300," she said.

Still, the total number of Texas participants in the food stamp program (now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP) stands at 3.6 million, which dwarfs the 85,000 enrolled in the 60-64 age bracket.

Yet the growth of the senior group has been outstripping all other age groups since 2007, said Stephanie Goodman, Texas Health and Human Service Commission spokeswoman.

In the past, many of the boomer generation shied away from charity, which they saw as a last resort, said Tiffany Wyatt, spokeswoman for the Catholic Charities community center in Richmond.
"But today some can't afford that kind of pride," said Telecia Rittiman, a social worker for Meals on Wheels.

Billie Jean Robinson, a 63-year-old who lives in the Acres Home area, said she started receiving food stamps nine months ago after her husband of 37 years divorced her. She said she was then no longer able to survive on her small disability check. Even with the $80 monthly debit card for food, she still is behind on her rent and received an eviction notice.

But she's not going hungry: "I can eat now without having to ask people for help."

Retirement plans
A recent Associated Press survey found more than half of baby boomers anticipate retiring later than planned because of significant investment losses during the economic collapse. In fact, a fourth of those surveyed said they would never be able to retire.

Those seniors trying to find work say they're also hitting an invisible age barrier.
One 60-year-old food stamp recipient, Rose Drones, of Channelview, who lost her job as a certified nurse assistant after her car broke down, said, "People don't want to take a chance on you when you're older."

She now earns $200 every two weeks as a receptionist assisting visitors at the Denver Harbor community center looking for the same kind of help she needs.

Nationally, the unemployment rate for seniors, ages 60-64, is 6 percent - a percentage point lower than the rate for those ages 25 to 54. But the seniors saw a faster spike as their unemployment rate has zoomed 100 percent higher than it was five years ago.

cindy.horswell@chron.com
renee.lee@chron.com