The new poor

As he waited his turn for free food at an anti-poverty center in Pacoima, Jose Contreras bit his lower lip and shook his head. Tony Castro in the Daily News.

"I've never had to beg for food," said the recently unemployed 32-year-old San Fernando warehouse worker. "But with no money and not having eaten in several days, I was hungry."

It is a story heard increasingly these days at San Fernando Valley food-distribution centers, not only from the long-term poor, including many senior citizens, but also from growing numbers of people like Contreras - victims of a worsening economy.