Snow Melt

Government Food

Jalál (Glory), 6 ‘Alá (Loftiness), 165 BE – Saturday, March 7, 2009 about 8:46 AM Pacific Time

The boxes of cheese and cans of chicken, beef or pork, haven't changed all that much since I was a child. The the labels are still white with black or blue letters. I remember there were other cans and boxes with that type of lettering, which isn't included in the senior food program, but the boxes of cheese and cans of meat look the same.

I remember when my parents divorced Mom had to go to the government and my grandparents for help feeding us. The house we lived in belonged to my Grandfather, so we didn't have to worry about a place to live. Grandpa and Grandma Newland had their own house in the Smelter heights on the other side of the rail road tracks.

Every month Mom would go after government food or commodities to feed four hungry mouths and herself. I remember the cans of meat; I think one of the cans contained spam, which I still like today. The only differences between the type I buy in the store today and the cans Mom received in the food boxes is the salt content and the labels.

I remember we received meat, cheese, butter or margarine, flour, sugar or corn syrup (and sometimes even honey), and canned veggies. It was enough to help feed a family of one parent and four kids. My grandparents helped as much as they could and Mom eventually got a job working in a restaurant. I still remember the government food fondly.