Although it was recorded that most of the time when men were lined up waiting to receive a whatever meal or aid they could get, they would not look each other in the eye. Most of the men were too ashamed that they had to receive aid and that they could not provide for themselves or their families. However as shameful as they felt waiting on soup kitchen lines were a universal experience for urban people of all classes. Soup kitchens were often formed by a Church program, where men women and children had to sit and listen to a sermon for about 20 minutes before they could line up again for their meals. Often times the line would stretch for blocks and blocks and the wait could take up to 5 hours. In New York City alone they had 82 breadlines set up that served 85,000 a day.
Previous to these readings and this blog entry submitted by Julia Sung, I was unaware of the full sociological impact of the great-depression. It had never crossed my mind over what these people must have been feeling and what their relationships between each other might have been. I understood that many people committed suicide, that many people lost their life savings, and that many people lost their jobs, but I was completely unaware of the emotions of the time. This blog entry really captivated me and clearly depicted the everyday lives of people during the great depression. The fact that 85,000 people were served daily is truly remarkable!