The Sharp, Sudden Decline of America's Middle Class

[jeffrey]

Every night around nine, Janis Adkins falls asleep in the back of her Toyota Sienna van in a church parking lot at the edge of Santa Barbara, California. On the van's roof is a black Yakima SpaceBooster, full of previous-life belongings like a snorkel and fins and camping gear. Adkins, who is 56 years old, parks the van at the lot's remotest corner, aligning its side with a row of dense, shading avocado trees. The trees provide privacy, but they are also useful because she can pick their fallen fruit, and she doesn't always* have enough to eat. Despite a continuous, two-year job search, she remains without dependable work. She says she doesn't need to eat much – if she gets a decent hot meal in the morning, she can get by for the rest of the day on a piece of fruit or bulk-purchased almonds – but food stamps supply only a fraction of her nutritional needs, so foraging opportunities are welcome...


The Sharp, Sudden Decline of America's Middle Class | Culture News | Rolling Stone

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Have not yet read the article, but your highlight brought to mind what I saw yesterday. I parked in the shade on the far edge of a dollar store parking lot. Next to me was an old, but in great shape station wagon, clearly full of the survival belongings of the maybe 75 year old woman who sat in the driver's seat. I thought how deeply lonely she might be.