Life in the City
Faith L., Max K., Nicole B.
Difficult Times
"We saw a crowd of some fifty men fighting over a barrel of garbage which had been set outside the back door of a restaurant American citizens fighting for scraps of food like animals." - Louise Armstrong
Many faced unemployment and poverty
Government did little to aid people in the city. Charitable organizations Salvation Army, Red Cross, and religious groups provided much help. Neighbors and communities worked together to help each other
Charitable organizations
Provided relief to the needy through food drives
Mutualistas
In Mexican American communities formed mutual aid societies.
Breadlines
Poor men and women stood in lines to receive bowls of soup and bread. Could be their only meal of a single day.
Hungry and Homeless
Many from the city suffered from malnutrition later affecting their health. Some suffered long term problems with their eyes and teeth.
Shantytowns
Around cities there were makeshift shelters from thrown away items. Such as packing boxes, scrap lumber, corrugated iron, etc. Blaming president Herbert Hoover for the depression, the homeless called the cities Hoovervilles