Economic woes hit Oconee County, too.

So, it might be common knowledge that Oconee County is one of the richest in the state, but this does not insulate the entire population from the woes that come from an economic meltdown. The Northeast Georgia Food Bank, the Athens Area Food Bank, and several smaller churches have all seen nearly double their normal demand.

In Oconee County, ACTS, (Also known as Are Churches Together Serving), is the traditional place to go for people who do not have food. For the past several years, the ACTS food bank has served around 80 families a month, mostly African-American. Recently though, the demand has ballooned to 200 families a month, with an even mix of ethnic groups. this suggests that poverty in Oconee is much less segregated than I originally thought.

The Athens Banner-Herald is running an article on the ACTS Food Bank this Friday, and it should be disclosed that fellow UGA health blogger James Hataway is the writer. He brought this to my attention, and after I made some calls and talked to a few local government officials, it seems that the commonly held notion that "poor people just don't like in Oconee County, because it is easier to move to Athens" is starting to fall apart.

The stereotypical food bank client is often seen as an impoverished person or family, having an incredibly difficult time pulling together enough money to meet all the household needs. One demographic that might be fueling the local need the often over-looked and maligned "asset-rich, cash poor" group. These people probably live in nice houses, drive their own reliable and completely paid for cars, but like many families in this economy, no longer have a consistent source of income. Assets like cars, houses, art, and other possessions require time to be sold and turned into cash, and so to live in the interim, many formerly affluent families can find themselves struggling to get by.

Charlotte, NC based food bank Loaves and Fishes has long been aware of this dynamic, and director Beverly Howard says that families living with debt may have at one point found that debt manageable, but given the changing economy, leveraged mortgages and declining stocks, these financial demands become just as insurmountable. "It is a hard situation to explain, and can be counterintuitive to people who deal with poverty for a living. We, like most other people I'm sure, sometimes get bitter when those who have more stand in line to receive the same services."

The key though isn't to blame the rich. It is important to realize that household economies, just like large national ones, are also currently in flux, and can leave the people behind the wheels of the Bentley's and inside the McMansions just as hungry and wanting during the short term. You can't invest in food and save it for a rainy day. It is a consistent need and it requires a consistent pay check, and when any family loses there income, they still need to go places to find some food.