Corporate Complicity in the Hunger Crisis
Stones instead of Bread
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone instead? (Luke 11:11)
Asking working families to rely on SNAP or food pantries, instead of paying them a living wage, is giving that family a stone instead of their daily bread. These programs are not silver bullets, but come with their own burdens. SNAP benefits are scaled based on income and require annual certification. Some households receive as little as $23/month. Many food pantries have limited daytime hours, meaning families may need to take time from work to access food. Working families have little time to spare and the just thing would be to pay them so they can invest that time in their health, families and communities.
Yet there are stones of debilitation that dampen our resolve to provide our hardworking families with their daily bread. One is the stone of nihilism that claims as people make more money they will simply spend more money. I challenge this based on behavior during the pandemic. Many families used their stimulus money to pay down debt or increase their savings*.
A second stone of debilitation is the apathetic acceptance that big corporations' poverty wages are simply a part of business and it’s only natural that entry level employees rely on SNAP or food pantries to get by. While (in 2023) 33% of workers in the 20 most common jobs nationwide live in households that can’t afford to meet their needs**, corporate profits are currently at record highs.*** By letting our most wealthy industries prioritize profit over people, we set the standard for all industries to follow suit.
A third stone of debilitation is the silent power wealthy businesses have over the charitable system. Frontline providers (i.e. food pantry coordinators, case managers, housing providers) are reliant on donations to serve those in need. Yet they are trapped between the principle of advocating for better conditions for those they serve (i.e. living wages) and the pragmatic fear of losing contributions from key donors that include those businesses and corporate interests paying less than living wages.
We absolutely need programs like SNAP and food pantries to support our neighbors in times of crisis. It is essential to restore the former and support the latter. It is equally important that we pay our working families living wages so they don’t need SNAP or food pantries on an ongoing basis. We can work within our own networks to increase wages, and, we can challenge corporations to pay living wages rather than engaging in seemingly charitable efforts - stones masquerading as bread.
As Christians believe that God provides us with our daily bread, may we ensure that each of our brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, are receiving their daily bread in turn.
**https://www.unitedforalice.
org/national-overview#4.5/36. 316/-95.842
