Tylib Williams said that more food banks and state aid should be offered to North Philadelphians who lack adequate food.
North Philadelphia native, Tylib Williams, said there is an inadequate supply of affordable food in the city and that he sees “a lot of money” being wasted.
“I see McDonald’s throw out fries every day,” Williams said. “Burger King does the same thing with their burgers and homeless pick them out of the trash, but they’re fresh burgers, why wouldn’t they?”
This year approximately 30 percent of Philadelphians, including Williams, will receive food stamps from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the Coalition Against Hunger. The SNAP program helps low-income people buy groceries including cold foods, coffee and other items that are from a list of unprepared foods.
Williams, a self-proclaimed rapper, who goes by the moniker, “Word Processor,” said the amount of food stamps that he receives is sometimes not enough due to inflation in supermarkets.
“Back in the day you would go in the store with $5 and you would come out with 12 items,” Williams said. “Now you’re going in there and all you can get is a gallon of milk because that’s how much it costs now.”
A HIV patient of 30 years, Williams said low-income cancer patients do not have the means to obtain a proper nutrition with the food available.
“We get food, but we don’t get the right food,” Williams said. “You can only spend what you can afford.”
Another issue that Williams has with obtaining food is in regards to distribution centers. Williams said that he has experienced receiving food items from government agencies and non profit organizations that are not in quality condition.
“I don’t think that is right, [agencies] just don’t care how they deliver the food to you,” Williams said. “We see all the rotten lettuce leftover, you know that stuff should be just as fresh as yours. I’m not saying that we’re not thankful, but some things are made to be thankful for.”
Currently a household of four people is eligible for SNAP food stamps, if they meet a monthly income limit of $2,980 or less before taxes. Williams said that other North Philadelphians could use help paying for food and that the city should create more food banks as well as provide additional food stamps in the future.
Connor Showalter can be reached at connor.showalter@temple.edu.
It is always tough when you are not getting enough of somebody else’s earnings. Nobody is “deserving” of somebody else’s money. Nobody is being “punished” because they cannot get “enough” of somebody else’s money.