Today I saw the first desperate request of a person driven to ask for help from a non-profit site I work for as a volunteer moderator. We are not a charitable organization. We exist solely to recycle items and keep solid goods and waste out of local landfills.
Whenever there are budget cuts people ask us for financial help, food, help moving housing assistance, jobs and rent payments. As the senior moderator of my local organization, over the last four years I've watched the number of Offers dry up and the Wanteds increase for the most basic of human needs. It's heartbreaking, especially when a new mother's in need of a crib and formula for a baby or an adult in desperate need of adult diapers.
This morning someone wrote in a Wanted request, asking for financial help for their family. We have no funding and zero resources to help anyone. All I can do is to refer them to government agencies and local charities that can help, but I know most are already overwhelmed with need. This is just the beginning. What I see today is the tip of the iceberg. This will continue as long as we have government for the greedy and the wealthy and the few.
