JUDGE NOT

In a conversation with a person who is a "volunteer" at the local Food Pantry, the woman stated that there were people coming there driving "brand-new cars". I answered, "Isn't the Food Pantry downstairs at the church? Do you mean that you follow people upstairs to see what kind of cars they drive?"

I told her that she did not know the situations of people and that their cars might be the only assets they have and that perhaps friends and relatives with good cars might be kind enough to take them as they probably cannot afford public transportation. I also told her that I could not imagine the degree of humiliation they felt having to go to a Food Pantry.

I told her that I had taken my nephew (who has no vehicle) to the Food Pantry to get groceries and I was driving my brand-new car; I also said that his aunt and uncle also took him to the Food Pantry in their late-model vehicles. We do this because he cannot afford the cost of transportation. Would she be judging him?

I think it's an Urban Myth about people in fancy cars at the Food Pantry; the last time I was there, I saw a large amount of people waiting for public transportation and a number of people getting into old cars. I saw no Cadillacs or Mercedes which have insignias I recognize. In fact, I gave rides to two guys who were acquaintances of my nephew and all three told me that they had to wait a long time for transportation.