Helping lessfortunate

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darsben

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Joined
May 30, 2018
Posts
3,019
Location
Central NY in summer beautiful Casa Grande AZ in w
As we travel the back roads we see lots of people "on the road" and stranded.
Some of the most memorable were;
a guy in his late 60's from Alaska stranded on a beach in Texas waiting for his Social Security check so he could buy U joints for his old suburban.
A young lad on bicycle on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere with a bad tire
older Gentleman stuck in a CG on the trace in a broke down car
The list goes on and some situations were heart breaking.
MY question here is;
How many of you carry extra supplies to give to those in need?
For example my wife and I regularly carry dog and cat food, shelf stable milk in small containers, small packs of cereal,  tuna fish in packets and crackers, bottles of water etc
What do you carry?
 
That's very noble of you, and reminds me to stock up with things that would be helpful to stranded folks. Thanks for posting this.
 
Great idea actually... I often pass by folks or stop to check, and wish I could do something more to help. A guy in my company carries basic equipment (although much better than OEM) to change tires for those stranded. A "real" jack, and battery powered impact wrench. Most folks have roadside assistance these days, but those calls can take hours to be answered. He can change a tire in 20 minutes or less, and has done so for several folks who could not wait. One was a man on his way to the hospital for scheduled heart surgery, who was stranded after a tire blowout and afraid he wouldn't make his appointment.
 
Do a Google search.  They're available from numerous vendors and on Ebay.  Some outdoor stores stock them for hikers.
 
I bought several cases at Camp Penalton.

I have a valid military ID because of 100% VA disability.  Any post PX will also have them.

They are fairly complete meal;s and much better than the cans that we carried around in Nam.

They consist of 12 meal pouches per case.  We sampled a few pouches at Quartzsite around the fire  a year or so ago.

They are about $100 a case.

If you buy them off the Internet be sure to check the dates on them.
 
HueyPilotVN said:
I carry a case of MRES in each vehicle.

To those who have never had the unfortunate experience of eating an MRE, you are lucky. I?m sure if someone is starving an MRE would be mighty welcome. They are nutritious, high in calories and vitamins.
 
Oldgator73 said:
To those who have never had the unfortunate experience of eating an MRE, you are lucky. I?m sure if someone is starving an MRE would be mighty welcome. They are nutritious, high in calories and vitamins.


Used to backpack and I loved MREs. 

 
Arch Hoagland said:
Used to backpack and I loved MREs.

When we were in the field we were forced to purchase MRE?s. You didn?t get to pick the meal. You went through the line and one was tossed at you. I retired from the AF 19 years ago and that was the last time I ate an MRE. Maybe they?re better now.
 
I don?t give to individuals begging due to the high possibility they are scamming or buying drugs with the money. Instead I would contribute $5 gift cards to a Salt Lake City advocate for the homeless. That way they can buy food or clothes or toiletries, as they need. It was easy to buy them 10 or 20 at a time and let the folks providing services hand them out as needed. At Christmas we would give her $20 cards. Now that I don?t live in SLC anymore, I might have to think about just carrying some around with me.

As for MRE, they really aren?t too bad, but they are very calorie dense. Many are 1500-2000calories, more than many people could eat. Jerky or beef sticks might be a small option too.
 
I guess we don't specifically carry anything like that but with Kim being a nurse, we've stopped at many traffic accidents over the years where she has lent assistance until EMS arrives. She keeps a well-stocked first aid kit in all of our vehicles.
 
the MRE idea is fine if you can afford it on a per meal price.
For $9.00 I can give a person stranded

1 bag of dog or cat food from dollar store
4 bags of tuna
1 box of crackers
6 bottles of Walmart water (bought when 30 for $1.99)
3 shelf stable 4 ounce milks from dollar store
A box of cereal from dollar store
2 dollar store granola bars

My thought is to give as much as possible so they are good for a day or two and so is their pet (who I feel sorriest for).
 
MRE - three lies in one!

I no longer stop on the highway for accidents or disabled vehicles, unless we're in the middle of nowhere. Finding a safe place for a motorhome and toad without causing a secondary accident can be tough.

The last crash I drove past was car vs motorcycle, on a bridge on a heavily traveled Interstate. There was simply no safe place to stop. Others had stopped, and I knew the area well enough to know there was a career firehouse nearby. The smart thing to do was keep going.
 
Oldgator73 said:
To those who have never had the unfortunate experience of eating an MRE, you are lucky. I?m sure if someone is starving an MRE would be mighty welcome. They are nutritious, high in calories and vitamins.

I use to love the spaghetti and pound cake in the C Rations. Then the Chiclets gum for desert.
 
Great Idea.  I'm heading to the store before our next trip to create a "kit".  I don't give money for the usual reasons, but I love this idea.  Thanks!
 

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