Supporting the troops

Published December 23, 2004 6:54PM (EST)

Something of a national shame, this one. From USA Today:

"Theresa Parrish tries to avoid the emergency food pantry. But with her husband serving in the National Guard in Iraq and two children at home, that isn't easy.

"'A few times a month, especially during the holidays, I have to,' says Parrish, 29, a stay-at-home mom whose husband, Dale, 30, was called to active duty in November 2003. 'The kids are home from school, so they're eating more.' Dale's military pay doesn't match his earnings as a machinist in Phoenix, she says. So, along with several other military families in Arizona, the Parrishes sometimes rely on food provided by St. Mary's Food Bank, named for the Catholic parish that started it.

"Because of demand from soldiers' families, the National Guard in Phoenix will become a regular distribution site in January for St. Mary's Food Bank, says Cynde Cerf, a spokeswoman for the group."


By Jeff Horwitz

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