They hate the government so much, yet they depend on it for help. They give so much to the washtowel instead of self-helping. Couldn't they have used the funds instead to stock up?
This is why so many are in need. Back in late 2019, your $20 donation could have bought you a silver Eagle, or a small handful of silver coins (where today, despite much lower spot prices, there is a severe shortage and high premiums on such). The amount of gas you wasted in field circus in December 2019 or January 2020 could have bought some basic groceries. Back then, a 20 pound bag of rice would cost you around $12, without purchase limits. You could get a 40 ounce/1.2 kg container of peanut butter for under $6--store brands, which are usually as good, are well under that. You could have bought 24 cans of store brand vegetables for around $20 (or less), with no purchase limits, back in December 2019 instead of donating that money. A "family pack" of canned chicken or tuna was affordable--two packs instead of throwing the money away. One suit dry cleaning could have bought you 10 cans of store brand pineapple (the big cans, not those tiny cans), again with no purchase limits.
If they had been a bit farther ahead, they could have bought some basic tools instead of giving money to this worthless cause. The basic screwdrivers I recommended cost less than one suit dry cleaning, and even a simple adjustable wrench (and I mean quality items, not the cheap Chinese junk at walmart) would have been about what they waste on gas for a week of field circus. I could buy a complete set of basic tools, again top quality tools, for about what they wasted going to the Grand Boasting Session in 2019 (this includes the 4 most common screwdriver sizes, a pair of Channel-Lock pliers, a pair of locking pliers, an adjustable wrench, and a hammer).
Or, they could have a blackout kit ready. How much does it cost to get a decent battery charger, a supply of NiMH batteries, and the flashlights or lanterns for this? With the money they wasted donating toward one of these a$$emblies, they could have had a name-brand 4 bay NiMH battery charger, 6 D batteries (low self-discharge NiMH), 16 AA NiMH batteries, 16 AAA NiMH batteries, one lantern that uses D cells, one headlamp that uses AAA batteries, and the Fenix LD22 that uses AA batteries. Is that better than relying on the government for help?