I was on a radio phone-in show just after New Years and a caller asked me, "what is the average age of the people who come to get a meal?" I responded that my guess was over half of them would be mid-50's and older. Recently, I've come to question my own information...I think I was wrong.
I think that the predominant group represented at our community kitchen is single, young men who are any where between their teens and 45 years old. Some of their other characteristics and traits are: (1) they are unemployed...at a time when there are hundreds of businesses crying for help, willing to pay $20 and hour; (2) they look like they are living rough...homeless, or surfing, or camping, or...just rough, ill-kempt, scruffy, etc.; (3) they are addicted and high a lot, especially around the end/beginning of the month when support cheques provide the dough to buy alcohol and drugs; (4) they have open sores and lesions on their face, or perhaps they are bruises and contusions...I'm pretty sure the marks are from meth use, but it could be fighting too, or getting so out of it they fall down without making an effort to catch themselves; (5) they are ill-educated, or act like it.
I can't figure out why this population segment is so over represented. Who would choose to live the way they do? Very puzzled. PSM
