Thrift as a Way of Life

For those like me, whose grandparents lived through the Depression, stories of deprivation and thrift were part of our upbringing. As if the Depression wasn't enough, the economy was then fueled by war, which begat The War Effort, rationing and deprivation for another reason; helping the boys at war.

During the Depression, people just plain didn't have money and couldn't buy things. Not that there was the wide array of consumer goods that we have, I mean people put newspaper in the bottom of their shoes because they could neither afford new shoes nor repair the old shoes. Soup Kitchens and bread lines proliferated, feeding many who had no other source of sustenance.

With the tumbling stock market, credit crunch and daily announcements of layoffs, we'll be lucky not to need assistance from tax deductible charity organizations. In my area, there are several downtown agencies that assist; the House of Charity which provides a noon meal to anyone who shows up at the appropriate time, no questions asked, Sharing and Caring Hands and Dorothy Day. There are food shelves associated with Dorothy Day, as well as with many other organizations. In addition, a church near my home provides free food once a month. Many years ago, my grandma was in a USDA program for those with low incomes; they came to her building and handed out butter, cheese and honey.

I'm not suggesting that contract attorneys are in a position to need these services; however, at one point in my life I worked on a temporary project with a woman who had lived for a time at the Dorothy Day center when she first moved here. Her church subsequently assisted her in finding a roommate situation.

Because of the rampant spending the formerly credit-worthy countries of the world have engaged in, it's entirely possible that we might know someone who could benefit from a reminder that these sorts of services are out there. When I was in law school, someone told me to apply for government benefits, such as food stamps; while I was poor, I chose not to take advantage of the programs because it was my choice to go to school. It seemed silly as a single person to do so, though one of my college classmates used food stamps; she had a child, so under her circumstances it would have been foolish not to do so.

I'm fortunate in not being in a situation in which I need services, but due to the masses of debt that people have, I also believe that it's important not to be too proud to take services if you need them. Especially if you have a family.