Wanting to add to the group

After yesterdays post where I'm complaining about not having group members who want to work, I had an interesting talk with Army daughter.  She called last night because she needed a little cheering up.  Her in-laws are visiting from out of state and the dinner news was how this aunt and that uncle were sick and dying.  She needed a pep talk.  What did the conversation end up with?  They need shelves in the garage.  Why?  Because their storage food is all over the garage and when they have the garage doors up the neighbors can see everything.  Not only that but her next door neighbors don't have any food storage and they know that Army daughter does.  Then she said that since next door husband is armed (he is in a special law enforcement agency) if the TSHTF  she'd expect him to just forcibly take their food.  After all, son-in-law sees no need to be armed. 

That's a good possibility.  Her answer?  Store all their food at my house.  Then when the time comes for them to take shelter here their share of food will already be here.  That's true.  They can also give me money and I can just use it to purchase food.  Or, I suggested, we shop together?  It shouldn't be only my responsibility to get the food for your family.  (Army daughter and son-in-law are very good at offering to pay but not put in the effort if they can get out of the work - in a SHTF situation, they'd do their fair share and more...just not now!) 

I told her that she should have two different types of food programs.  The first is what she is doing at her house with stocking up.  The second, which they aren't at yet but is more on the line of what she wanted to store at our house was long term food supply.  She seemed to understand that you start with stocking up and it can and should morph into long term. 

She still had concerns about the neighbor.  What if things went bad and they were filling her car up with food for their quick get away to my house and the neighbor forced them to give him all their food?  I told her that I wouldn't expect them to be waiting until the last minute to leave.  There are warning signs, it's just that people don't always pay attention.  If they pay attention, they will have time to pack up the car and bring their stuff here.  If they don't have time, then that's when they realize that by planning for their long-term storage at my house they can just leave things at their house and any neighbor in need can come and help themselves. 

She wondered about the neighbors.  They are really good people and are turning into their best friends.  Interesting that they are your best friends but you can't trust them.  Not a bad thing...really, you've only known them five months.  I suggested she have a talk with the wife.  Perhaps they've just never thought about food storage and trying to be a little self sufficient.  Maybe Army daughter can convince them to start stocking up on some long-term items. What skills to they have other than the wife knows how to make cookies?  See what their ideas are about societal issues.  They should have strong opinions, after all he deals with pretty bad people.  Perhaps if they really get to know the neighbors, and these neighbors prove to be hard workers, then perhaps they can be offered the opportunity to come to our little patch, and prepare to work hard to grow enough food to feed themselves and more.