The 2009 depression is unique to us. Many of grandparents who lived through the 1930s depression have either passed away or we are unwilling to learn from them and their experience.

In either case we have to go back to that time and read about what many people did to survive.

In some areas the CCC or Civilian Conservation Camps sprung up and that is how so many of our roads and parks and other important government buildings were built and maintained. Many young man and older man with a hefty arm could work for a wage and live and send home small amounts of money. It helped.

Today we do not have these projects and we really do need them. Sure they pay minimum wage but when you consider that your food and room and board were often taken care of and education and recreation openly available, money was a luxury and sent home to pay debts, rent, etc.

The WPA or Work Progress Act was developed for artisans and craftsmen. These people would sew or do other items that were of need and want and were paid a fair price. Women and girls and home bound individuals were employed and had hope.

Many people still could grow small gardens, tend chickens in their own backyard coops or raise a goat or small cow for milk and make butter and cheese as well. Even inner city places people had coffee can gardens on their fire escapes. People figured out ways to survive.

Some people did work for coal mines and other companies and were indentured to that organization. Some people persevered and became seasonal workers, others who simply could not handle situations did what so many that you read about online do, kill their families and themselves.

There is also a stigma about these down times. Many people have a misunderstanding what government programs are and how they can benefit the individual. Many do not know that food stamps are not a hand out. But that their tax dollars go into these programs that were developed during the 20th century depression. Food stamps do not mean that the typical low income-shopping cart applies. That is hot dogs, chips and soda.

But rather a way that the government wants it used Real meals. A full stomach creates a full mind and then better ability to go forward. Granted each state has the right to set limits and availability, which is wrong in my opinion. But you can use the Internet to your advantage in these tough times.

And that the meat of this.

If you have lost your employ or are on limited employ apply for food stamps. You paid for them, use them.

There are online calculators and online access to forms to send in, No embarrassment. This is not a hand out by any means. Your hard earned tax that was taken away each paycheck helps to fund the USDA food stamp program. Consider it your lifeline.

Once you get food stamps resist the urge buy junk food. Many people are depressed and junk food is one of the first things they go for. Buy logically. Buy boxed dinners and ground turkey or other inexpensive meat, like chicken bottom quarters. Figure that meals need to be on top of your agenda. You don’t have to eat extravagant. Keep an eye out for end of week sales. The meat is still good and freezable immedately. And you can save 20-30 percent of the original price.

Try and limit lunch meats and canned tuna. These are expensive and you can really buy a nice bottom round roast for the cost of a few cans of tuna.

Get a cookbook. I know this is silly. But a cookbook will make your groceries go further. You get creative but you don’t have to go overboard. Telephone Pioneers Cookbooks, FCE cookbooks are by far the best and are written by people who are on and lived on a very tight budget. They often use few ingredients to create fantastic meals.

Buying flour, sugar, flavorings and baking powder versus buying cake mixes and cookie mixes is cheaper in the long run and can do you a whole month.

Get some seeds. Many neighborhood or community centers offer every spring free plants and seeds. All it takes is a big bucket some dirt and you can grow beautiful plants and some veggies. Vegetables like radishes you can eat the tops and the bottoms, cucumbers are beautiful plants and tomatoes thrive in coffee cans. If you live in a neighborhood that frowns on vegetable but allows flowers, many vegetables offer beautiful flowers during growing and hide their bounty underneath. Spring Hill Nursery offers patio and dwarf fruit trees. They live in the large terracotta planters and will provide you with fresh fruit and beautiful foliage and great flowers.

Neighborhood centers, outreach centers offer food banks and goods and help to families in need. And can offer resources that otherwise you would not know about.

Flower beds under the windows of suburban houses provide excellent media for growing food.

Next comes canning and preserving. Lets say you have a garden and you want to keep greens (collards, are easy to grow in a continual pot too) just cut slightly above the base and wash. Place in rolling boiling water for a few seconds and then place in a colander. Run cold water over them to stop the cooking processes and dump into zip-lock bag now you have frozen collards that save you 1.12 per small box. You pay that much for 1 packet of seeds that can supply you will 4 months worth of vegetables.

Learn to pickle tomatoes and cucumbers. Refrigerator pickles are easy and can last months. Look along roadsides and see what fruit vines are growing. Wild blackberries make excellent jam and many vines flow over onto roads. Make sure the berries are plump and black wash very well to remove grime and then you can dump them into zip-lock freezer bags for fresh frozen fruit.

Using an outdoor line drier in summer saves on your electric bill. So where you can, set up a line for drying clothes. Just a few loads will save you money on the bill and that gives you more gas money.

Set up a potluck with your friends once a week. Sharing can make meals stretch and having fun can be energy boosting as well.

You can exchange clothes, linen etc. Instead of donating it and loosing out. Set up a yard sale. Make the bargains real good and people will come. A yard sale is great especially if you have loads of clothes and uniforms that the kids wore from the previous year that they outgrew.

Make left-overs. If you make a meal and you have leftovers. You can make quick zappable tv dinners.

And finally, go back to school. It is always a great idea to talk to a school and see what they have to offer or go for retraining through a job center. Many government job centers, available through the unemployment office offer career advice and help. They also offer classes for free in some areas.

Look for jobs that offer earn while you learn programs. Some programs are available through your local help center and can get you into a variety of classes as well.

Check your local listing on the net for a DHS or department of human services center in your town. Many are available online and you can peruse classes, jobs, benefits, Everything that you paid for from each paycheck. Now is your time to take advantage of it.

So here is your list: Check out what your local area has to offer.

- Set up a line drier

- Grow some food

- Get back in school or training at home is even better

- Preserve some food

- And keep a fair weather eye.

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About the author: Julia Sherman is a CAM provider, Director of The Pointe Center (A diabetes and health education center). She is a Diabetes Educator for the NDEP Program through the NIH, A registered Pharmacy Technician, And IFA aqua Fitness instructor and Presidential Champion Fitness recipient, three times over and a teacher for health education in schools and member FCE and AHMA. She is Author of the self management handbook Factoring Diabetes.

Email: jimmysdevoted2@bellsouth.net

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