What's your "line" for helping neighbour's vs. full lock down?
Posted by hogancheveippoff@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 80 comments
at what point do you decide sharing heat, water, rations, etc...
is not beneficial to you?
whats your tipping point?
Feral_668@reddit
Teach them all now to be self reliant "teach a man to fish" mention some recent disaster and how people used to can vegetables and store foods for the lean times. Don't show them your preps and if you do have some extra sort it in 1/2 cup portions to give to them (beans and rice) but expect them to talk to other neighbors and expect to see other neighbors at your door. Then when you stop being magnanimous, expect them to try to make you share your preps or take them all.
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
Under normal circumstances, power failure, localized flooding, house fire we've helped however we can. Rustled up spare generator for neighbors out of town, helped clear out expensive stuff after a buddies house fire etc. That's a no brainer and costs nothing but some time.
In a prolonged significant "event" , close friends and family know they are welcome to stay at our place, because weve discussed, planned and have made accommodations for it. And the gate is closed to others. That's our line and what we've prepared for as a family and group. It has to be a hard line imo. Resources, no matter how vast are always limited. A 1 yr supply for 10 mouths becomes 4 months for 30 as an example. We cant possibly (financially or logistically) prepare to support others outside of that circle. Is it heartless? I geuss it depends on which side of our fence one is on. Everyone has the opportunity to prepare in some capacity and it's an issue of personal responsibility, especially if you have family.
A great way to play these scenarios out is to get the playing cards called "conflicted". They can force folks to think and talk about various situations and sort out what the best options are. We've done it with our group a few times. It's fun, revealing and forces uncomfortable discussions.
Ultimately my primary responsibility is to my family and secondarily to our inner circle. Outside of that, I'll wish others well and carry on.
davidm2232@reddit
Many resources are not limited though. If you have a creek or large well on your property, that water is endless. If you have 300 acres of forest, it is basically unlimited for neighbors to use for firewood. But letting them on the property to cut wood or gather water opens up the question on if they can hunt the land which is a limited resource.
Alarming-Activity439@reddit
Don't rely on hunting. Historically, any areas with a lot of humans that have supply chain disruptions have their wildlife populations decimated within weeks. And "a lot" doesn't mean much at ALL compared to the concentrations of today.
davidm2232@reddit
You would need a way to patrol your hunting ground to keep others out. It's not really feasible unless you have a large group.
Alarming-Activity439@reddit
I would probably just take the kills early and preserve the meat (I make pemmican all the time) while it's there, and make it last as long as I could. I'm in Alaska and live with brown and black bears and moose outside my front door, so even one would give lasting sustenance before I even had to crack into my other supplies.
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
Exceptions prove the rule. I'm not speaking hypothetically like a creek, or a well (with unlimited gas to run the generator??) Or 300 acres. I'm talking specifically about the resources we KNOW we have. And they are finite. I'm certainly not letting anyone on our place to harvest our wood. We burn approximately 15k pounds annually. Even with a larger parcel wood in a big forest is finite. Letting random folks on our place for water, wood or whatever is a horrible idea to us. We aren't the red cross or a charitable organization. We are a family and group that have invested thousands of hours , days and weeks and months of energy and money to support US. EVERYONE has the option to do the same in some capacity. Every stick of firewood, every drop of water and every grain of rice has our time, effort and money behind it. We've established what we are comfortable with at our place. Others are welcome to do as they please with theirs.
davidm2232@reddit
At least for me, these are not hypotheticals. I have a stream on my property. I take care of the property across the street from me, my neighbor from out of state has 300 acres and an artesian well along with several large streams with ponds. He could never come close to making a dent in the wood or water. Even having it commercially logged takes years. A few people taking firewood will not even be noticeable. Why let things go unused when they could help people?
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
Awesome that you have a stream and access to SOMEONE else's investment. Kinda reveals why you think I should share with others as they've shared with you. I don't have though things, especially 300 acres of woods. I have to be very selective on wood I cut, generally dead abd downed or standing. It's rare for me to cut living trees. Nothing grows in my 19 acre swamp other than a few things one can forage in a pinch, same with our 9 acres of pasture. It's just grass.
You seem awful generous with OTHER people's stuff. Which is cool if it works for you. It doesn't here.
Should I be sharing my investments with others because they are "unused"? Or my kids college fund, it's just sitting like firewood "unused". What about our fun money savings account. It's "unused" as well.
davidm2232@reddit
You should be sharing that investment money if you have so much that you couldn't possibly ever use it. If you don't share it, it will just go to the government when you die. Which is sharing anyway I guess
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
Lol if only I had that much.
What's your obsession with your desire to dictate how others live, prep or utilize THEIR private property?
davidm2232@reddit
Because I see so many houses rot away to nothing because the owners are never there and never do any maintenance. I see so many parcels of land where the landowner will go years without ever visiting it. All the good trees that have fallen down just rot while neighbors struggle to find money to pay for firewood. I don't like seeing things wasted that could help others
Cheap_Cap760@reddit
Obviously you've never seen our place do your assumptions are without any fact.
" Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." C. S. Lewis
Achnback@reddit
Bruh, you can't talk sense to a Democrat Socialist, they will just frustrate you, drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.
davidm2232@reddit
This isn't for your property unless you live in the Adirondacks right across the street from me.
ryan10e@reddit
I prepared ahead of this past winter for an extended power outage, including requiring my gas furnace to be able to run off a large portable battery. My doors would be wide open to a long list of friends of friends, if for absolutely no other reason than they would contribute body head to the house and reduce the heating demand!
JRHLowdown3@reddit
It's tough to say ahead of time how and who you will help. The how is easier IMO- as on the down low as you can so as to keep things quieter for you. Maybe that's the MREs you put back that were given out during the hurricane- i.e, "I saved a few cases of these they were giving them out during Helene, they are military rations I think..." Or "a guy brought me these, said the military was giving these out in X city" (city at least 30 miles away).
Shows a willingness to help without saying you have a boat load of stuff yourself. Bringing some things to a local church and then directing people there- "I got some food for my family from 1st Baptist up near Main street, go and ask for Mr. Jones."
Closer to home- that measly pile of nasty looking firewood stacked out by your gate with the "will trade firewood for food" sign may help deter a few inquires.
Also, it's like the co-worker or friend most of us know that doesn't manage their finances worth a crap and asks you to borrow money regularly.... Instead, when you see him, ASK HIM first. "Hey Bob, can you spot me $20. till payday?" What does that tell Bob? Dude ain't got no money to lend me... So being the first to ask -"do you know where we can get some food?" is a good way to start. These are just scratching the surface on this subject, but all better than telling someone no while your clearly not losing weight- that just breeds resentment and in this current culture with everyone in the "de owes me" /FSA crowd, that it going to be a problem.
All for charity and unlike others that tout it so much, we have actually done it quite a bit, but you have to do it on the down low during a bad situation. Even for the neighbors we will help, they will get buckets or cases labeled "3 of 6" (implication being we didn't have a lot but shared what we had).
dear8726@reddit
Such intelligent ways to think about this AND still manage to help others WITHIN REASON and while being both careful and smart!
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Thank you. Suffice to say been "wargaming" some of this stuff for 40 years so outside the box answers do come... Eventually 😄
Achnback@reddit
Help, when you can. The reality is most times it will build extremely good will and the "SHTF" situation will be over in a week or two. That goodwill you just built...might could come in handy and may enlist a new prepper you can count on in the future for mutual benefit... That said, if it happens again, store is closed.
davidm2232@reddit
I'll help everyone out when I am sure it is not going to hurt me. For example, I have more water than I could ever use. If neighbors want to fill up containers to bring home, I see no issue with that. It doesn't cost me any extra to have neighbors jump on the Starlink wifi to stay connected, the WIFI password will be posted in the window. I have an electric log splitter. If the neighbors want to split wood with it to save on gas, I would welcome them to do so. They could also recharge their chainsaw batteries off my generator or solar. I have 90 days of fuel for my generator. If we are in a short term outage of only a few days or a weeks, I would loan out fuel and spare generators. If we knew it would be longer term, I would not do so. Regardless, I would allow charging phones, power tool batteries, power stations, etc when my generator was running
It_is_Fries_No_Patat@reddit
Darker thoughts over here. I won't because showing ability to help makes me a looting target.
Lock down or Bug out preferring bug out.
IndolentPerseverance@reddit
and go where? wouldn’t you face the same issues after bugging out
It_is_Fries_No_Patat@reddit
No now I'm in a big city. my bug out is if possible the north sea, off shore is imho a lot safer then the almost completely build full overpopulate Europe.
On land bug out is near impossible in Europe it is to densely populated
Internal_Time7941@reddit
Also, zombies can't swim.
IndolentPerseverance@reddit
wouldn’t the isolation also pose a risk? how will you pack all your supplies?
It_is_Fries_No_Patat@reddit
Yes that is a risk but imho a less severe risk and manageble you could try to find ~safe land.
Internal_Time7941@reddit
The people that live the closest to you can either be working with you or against you. If you don't want to help them, then you better be prepared to take action to prevent them from taking what you have. When your neighbor realizes that his 5 kids are going to starve because he didn't prepare properly and you and your wife have an underground pantry with a years' worth of food that you so proudly showed them 6 months prior to the "event", you can expect that he will expect your to help. He may ask the first time, but by the second time he won't be asking, he will be attempting to take it. I think once they know and you are helping them, there is no take backs and you will be helping until your supplies are exhausted. Amazing how hunger and desperation will turn a friendly neighbor into a cold blooded life taker if it means saving his family.
Droidy934@reddit
On saturday evening there was a young man who is homeless posted on a local NextdoorApp asking for a kindling axe to split wood for his fire pit, I had a spare one so i gave it to him, we met at about 10pm. At least he could keep himself warm. You have to make your own judgments.
CreasingUnicorn@reddit
If you are in a position to help, then help, at least a little bit.
Otherwise, at least point people in the right direction.
Eredani@reddit
What if "a little bit" isn't enough? Do you think desperate people will appreciate and respect "a little bit" of generosity?
HarpyCelaeno@reddit
I wonder this too. Just how many of them will politely starve to death in their own homes? One has to have some serious faith in God’s plan to give till it’s gone.
holistivist@reddit
Looking around at the average person’s lack of meaningful response to everything happening, I’d say about half would politely starve, likely while clutching their pearls over the actions of those who simply refuse to starve while the nearby grocery store still has food left.
Healthy-Caregiver997@reddit
Dysentery will most likely take out many.
nakedonmygoat@reddit
It really depends on the scenario. A short-term crisis due to a natural disaster? No worries. If I already know the person and can spare some of my stash, I share it. Things will be back to normal soon. In none of the three hurricanes I've been through was anyone "desperate."
But if it's an open-ended situation, no law and order, no idea when or if help will come, one might want to give only to family, if they can trust them. Not all families are created equal. How some families treat each other makes the news with distressing regularity.
CreasingUnicorn@reddit
There is a middle ground between "let every stranger into your home" and "shoot anyone that walks within 500ft of your house"
Unfortunately it is difficult to plan in advance under exactly which circumstances you would be willing to give aid or supplies to family/friends/strangers, and you likely wont know what your limits are until you are in that position, but i aim to err on the side of generosity as long as it doesnt put anyone in immediate danger.
mrchacalito@reddit
Esta es la respuesta
livefast_dieawesome@reddit
I help them and they will very likely help me at some point in return. Community building is the best prep.
jjohnisme@reddit
Today, you.
Tomorrow, me.
shortstack-42@reddit
I’ll do anything I can for my real (rural) neighbors. No limits. After Helene hit our valley, I needed help and they came. Without being asked, not knowing me well, they came. They gave. I gave. Those people are valley family and they have what I have.
For strangers in a short term Tuesday, I’ll give until I judge that my safety comes first. I won’t share my home in a bigger Tuesday, but in a bad storm? Yes. Food? Visible in my kitchen, yes. Water? All they want. I have a spring. My, car, money, tools, fuel, no, sorry.
SHTF? Strangers get: Water, directions, advice, prayers, while sitting next to my dog and my hand on Bertie the shotgun. And anyone who even hesitates accepting my no, or asks questions about what they can’t see from my front yard is going to see the darker side of fluffy old lady. Quickly.
This question is MUCH harder in the suburbs and urbs. Neighbors are denser and less known. Trust is more complicated.
Particular-Try5584@reddit
Short of guns drawn and night time barricades….
Help in some way.
Share excess seeds,
Share knowledge and skills,
Grow more than you can can, and share excess (trade for labour on canning day!)
Build a reputation as a person who can help fix things
Hide your stockpile and meds…
Share your skills and excess to build rapport and community.
Usagi_Shinobi@reddit
That's entirely context driven. I am part of my local CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) leadership group, so I am very pro neighbors helping neighbors, but my "line" is essentially "airplane rules", meaning I put on my oxygen mask first before I move to help others with theirs, and if my mask stops working, I stop and put on a new one before resuming helping others.
Depending on what it is that's needed, I may or may not be the person to reach out to. Your water got contaminated and you need help to make it potable again, I can probably help make that happen. You want to tap my own limited supply, that's not happening.
Everything in existence has some form of price tag, one way or another. Sometimes that cost is nothing more than some friendly conversation and some warm fuzzy feelings, sometimes it's a favor repaid years down the line, sometimes it's a straight trade, sometimes it's actual money changing hands, but it's always there, and no one in their right mind should ever do anything that ends up with them not being "compensated" for things that benefit others.
Vegetaman916@reddit
I have no line, and no plan for that. I will have left early and gone far. And if I haven't, I will just be biding my time until the fallout degrades enough to do so.
There will be no neighbors where me and my group will be.
BaldyCarrotTop@reddit
Helping neighbors (to a point) is part of my plan.
the_whingnut@reddit
My neighbors here (bfe tenn) it's all community we are all "all in" all ofvwhich ive known for 20yrs+. My neighbors when I lived in Norfolk va.....nothing more than storm help. we were set up to bugout Modular start with truck/ rv and pair down as required to get to my current area. It depends greatly on the ppl involved and area.
icemonsoon@reddit
Its better fall out with them as early as possible
Lou_Nap_865@reddit
You guys have neighbors?
JRHLowdown3@reddit
Egg Zach Lee. No neighbors as in next door or even 1/2 mile away. However we helped clear roads during Helene in our area. Wasn't the "everyone will pitch in and work together" kumbaya shit some here think will transact. More like "oh shit people are coming to clear my road that don't even live here, let's hide inside so they don't ask us to help" X10.
nakedonmygoat@reddit
Well, it does happen. After Hurricane Ike, before it had even stopped drizzling, my entire neighborhood was outside clearing our streets of downed trees. So just because it didn't happen where you were doesn't mean it doesn't happen. It's really more about how invested people feel in their neighborhood.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
I'm glad to hear that for you. Now you KNOW, not assume like most here do. I also KNOW what to expect having been thru it on the other end.
Some of the "lessons" from hurricanes don't extrapolate out to longer term situations where no or little help is expected however.
foot_down@reddit
Full lockdown is my last resort because it potentially makes you a resented target. Cooperation to produce more food will get everyone further than hoarding to yourself. Eg. If you have a bucket of rice but no gardening space you'd be better off sharing the rice with your neighbor who can grow lots potatoes and helping them with the digging so everyone is fed for longer. Butchering a whole beast with no electricity for refrigeration MUST be a communal feast or the bulk of it will just be wasted.
We homestead surrounded by big farms and some small blocks and it's a high trust neighborhood. In hard times we'd freely share with neighbors, we already function like a village anyway. We don't advertise our dried/tinned stockpile under the house though. I'd transfer small quantities at a time so the visible pantry would be low stocked.
Our main concern here is the potential masses of soft-handed refugees from the city in a major disaster scenario. Unknown people with no rural skills or resources so we couldn't really take them on as part of the community. I could offer a night to camp and a bowl of soup on their journey, while having conversations to assess if they're a threat, have any tradeable skills and also gain intel from outside our area. People here may call me delusional but I strongly believe that helping others and cooperating, even in the smallest ways, is best practice. It's what makes us human.
RiotousRagnarok@reddit
I can, and will help neighbours, I will not support.
NWYthesearelocalboys@reddit
With 4 kids the line is pretty narrow. I can help people by using my skills and equipment in my immediate community for all of our benefit.
Even then theres likely going to need to be some sort of exchange. Ill happily till many acres for crops but the fuel will likely have to come from somewhere else.
When it comes to food, water and energy it's a strict lock down situation.
workingMan9to5@reddit
When giving to them means taking from someone I care about more.
StarlightLifter@reddit
Here’s my philosophy: never do anything for free. Never accept anything for free.
Establish straight out the gate that if I am going to help you, you are going to help me. And I won’t be indebted either.
This is the MUTUAL in mutual aid, and it’s how communities weather hard times.
Now, if we are headed for the big fast collapse and it’s mad max straight out the gate… that may be a different story.
I would offer every bit of knowledge I have for free because god willing my neighbors could catch up or whatever then that’s less pressure on me.
Yeah. It’s a fine line.
Head-Engineering-847@reddit
Exactly. People are only loyal to their need for you
Spiley_spile@reddit
Im a prepper. I look ahead and prepare for scenarios that concern me, so that Im not left powerless to do anything about them.
I already keep extra supplies on hand so I can help my neighbors. Ive networked with mutual aid groups who will also be able to help them. Further, I do community disaster preparedness skill shares, to reduce resource scarcity in the community and boost everyone's ability to help not only themselves, but others. (Never leave yourself in the position to be the sole hinge upon which everything hanhs.)
Ive been building trust and credibility with my neighbors since moving into our complex. Im far younger than most of them. So it's taken time and effort. But Ive succeeded. Ive scheduled to teach my neighbors a free Stop the Bleed Class next month, and the class is completely full. From there, Ill be holding disaster preparedness classes, based on things our city experiences like annual power outages during weather extremes and house fires, to the overdue giant earthquake.
Soon, Ill be surounded by people who have at least some capacity to provide for themselves. And if their supplies run short, Ive ensured that they can rely on an entire network of other prepared peoole.
When we build disaster resilient communities, everyone's survival chances increase.
2quickdraw@reddit
I prep enough to give a little to my neighbors at a time. I also prep seeds and fertilizer and tools so they can start their own gardens. But they're going to have to trade labor for anything I give them. One immediate neighbor preps, the other immediate neighbor can't even keep their freezer full. One neighbor who abuts my property can just eat their horrible dogs, and if they cross over my fence there will be consequences .
schannoman@reddit
For long term survival there's no point, purpose, or chance of making it without a community
SheistyPenguin@reddit
It takes a village. If you don't have a village, you need a compound with either lots of family, willing acolytes, or a Harem.
BaylisAscaris@reddit
If I think the situation is temporary I'm always going to help as long as my help will benefit them more than it will harm me. It is also important to determine the amount of help you are willing to give and not to the point where you will feel harmed or resentful. For example, let's say a friend wants to borrow money. This is the best way to lose a friend. I do not lend people money. I might gift them money with no strings attached, but only if I can do so without feeling annoyed if I see them spending it on something I disagree with. If I can't divorce my feelings on that I don't give them money. It is important to also have boundaries with yourself and your whole family needs to reinforce them. For example, a parent wants to stay with you while their house is temporarily unlivable. You should make sure everyone in your current household is fine with this decision and set a time limit and actions that will happen after. "You can stay in the guest room for up to 2 weeks and after that we can help you move to [different relative's house/hotel/etc.], but you need to stay out of home office while [spouse] is working, and not undermine our authority with the kids." Don't be a doormat, but do help in ways that make you feel good and are useful.
For my neighbors I err on the side of helpful in all things because they know where I live and being on good terms could literally save my life or my property. I share a ton of produce from the garden, I'm friendly, and if I am going to do any modifications to the property I get everyone's consent (make sure it is actual consent and not just polite agreement). For example, "I'm thinking of adding a raised bed to the front yard, do you have any preferences on style (if they seem really hesitant I skip the project). Do you want me to order you one too and help you set it up (if they seem excited)." If I'm adding livestock, anything other than an enthusiastic "hell yeah! I want to pet them!" is a no, unless property lines are very far away and the animal is quiet and non-stinky. My current neighbors are great and I've gotten them into gardening too. Now if something happens we all have food and I don't need to worry about them. They also bring me really good cooked food all the time and I give them stuff too. This means we now have 4 households that are growing a lot of food and can help everyone else, not just me.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
I am friendly with my neighbors, but not friends.
Unless there is some decision to band together in SHTF - then no I am not sharing supplies. However I will offer help with my time or effort if I can.
Monarc73@reddit
10 days to 2 weeks. After that, things are getting serious, and (polite) hoarding rules are in effect.
vercertorix@reddit
The only reason shit works now is that whether we realize it or not, we are constantly working together for our own reasons but it works to the benefit of all, or most anyway. Best to keep doing that as much as possible. If it's a growing season and you need help or could do more with help, that's how they pay you back. It's important that the benefits don't all flow one way, that way you're not being charitable, and there's some buy in from anyone that you help to help in return. Laziness or lack of reciprocity would be the line I suppose. Doesn't matter if they were computer programmers and power is out, if their knowledge base doesn't help, labor is still a valuable commodity. If you know what to do and they can help, they can pitch in with what you're doing or you can offload tasks on them that you either don't have time for or don't want to do.
Eredani@reddit
If the emergency is limited scope (local/regional, temporary, rule of law is still in place) then I will help as much as I can. This means the system as a whole is intact, outside help is coming and my assistance is short term.
But the moment we get into an unknown or unlimited scope emergency everything changes. If/when the rule of law breaks down then all bets are off. No one is going to quietly and peacefully starve. I guarantee you no parent is going to do nothing while their kids are cold, sick, hungry or thirsty. First they will ask, then beg, then demand, and finally take.
Your limited ability to help will be completely outmatched the needs of the unprepared people around you. If they know you have resources then you are at a massive disadvantage.
FunOwl2026@reddit
My immediate family and that’s it.
GT3454@reddit
You will not be a “lone survivor” in a long term disaster situation. Most of us won’t. Mutual aid and community will be the lever that lets most of us survive
Background-King9787@reddit
Share it all. Unless it directly impacts my kids to help (i.e. if we are down to the last food, it goes to all the kids. Not helping an adult when a child needs it more, but would treat any kids as my own). If an adult behaves terribly I suppose we’d ostracize them. And I am not sure if I’d give the general public access to my supplies but I’d definitely share. And then all those families I’m sharing with? We could work together to defend each other if a bad actor shows up.
PaulTR88@reddit
I have stuff in abundance just for my own comfort zone. I have a few neighbors I help and work with regularly that I wouldn't bat an eye at sharing with if things got tough. Other neighbors if it's short term or very life/death, but I'm not really going out of my way for them.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
The other lesson here folks is that if you intend or even say you will help others, now is the time to get in a position where you CAN help others. That means a deep pantry first and foremost. That "two weeks" of food that you think is going to be "so much" when the time comes will look like what it is- nothing- and suddenly your best laid plans of "helping others" will be gone when the reality sets in that you really don't have any food storage.
Even for short term events aka "tuesday" stuff-your chances of ACTUALLY helping others is increased the more you have to help others. Not saying you shouldn't help unless you have a lot, just saying that the chances of actually doing that will be greater if you know it's not really going to set YOUR family back to do it.
silasmoeckel@reddit
When I'm adding risk by doing so.
So in my current neighborhood nearly never, anything that bad I'm bugging out with a here neighbor use my stuff. Years ago when I lived in the outskirts of a city it's a whole different story, people were very entitled/dependent very much everybody owes them.
TheMrsH1124@reddit
My husband and I have talked about this. Water is a resource we're fairly confident we can obtain without too much difficulty as we have a lot of large bodies of water around us. So we would plan to help our neighbors obtain and purify water.
We will also help our community come together to find and raise food. For example, the wildlife sanctuary less than a mile away has a bunch of bison on birth control. My first move would be organizing the surrounding neighborhood to guard and tend the bison so we can have recurrent meat. Same with the goats, pigs, etc. And I would offer from my stocks of corn and wheat to start growing that as well.
Sharing our actual food though, no, not unless someone is actively dying and has no other option. We will share with my parents if they need it (they are older), but no one else is going to know what we have on hand.
Chaos_Goblin_7007@reddit
This is a tough one for me. I grew up really poor and many times went hungry as a child. So seeing a child hungry hits pretty hard. However since Ive started prepping Ive noticed around me a lot of people don’t prepare for anything—even when warned. So for me I will find food resources to suggest, offer to help them fish, and maybe barter with them a bit—but I have told myself that I need to save my family (spouse and 2 kids first).
Fr33speechisdeAd@reddit
Depending on how dire the situation is, trying to help 1 or 2 becomes 10 -12 once word spreads. Then you have a security problem. Family, friends, neighbors in that order, everyone else- nope.
Which-Meat-3388@reddit
My direct neighbor is a nurse of 25 years and husband an engineer. Nice people with a great alcohol collection. They are way in.
EffinBob@reddit
If I reasonably think the emergency is short term, I help. The term can vary depending on the type of emergency, but so far I have not seen an actual permanent emergency so I always end up helping when able.
mr-pootytang@reddit
im not sharing shit. shtf, everyones an enemy
smsff2@reddit
My rule of thumb is to help when the cost to me is limited, so I’m not taking too many resources from my family, and when it can make a significant difference in someone else’s life.
After the Chernobyl disaster, my grandmother hosted a family of refugees. My grandparents were Holocaust survivors, and they had learned that people who are left behind and not helped may simply be killed.
The refugee family had a father, a mother, and a girl who was maybe two years older than me. She used to babysit me when no adults were around.
Forty years later, we are still in touch.
JRHLowdown3@reddit
God bless you all for that!
crypto_junkie2040@reddit
It would depend on the overall severity of the situation. If it is a life or death situation I will definitely not let anyone starve to death... especially if I have extra food. Best to prepare for your family and also for some of your neighbors that may not be able to prepare, worst case you end up having more on hand for yourself and more things you'd be able to trade if you are thinking of an shtf kind of scenario.
If not shtf, but a shorter term disruption, I am definitely helping as much as I can just to build goodwill. But discretely....