" Unfortunately, it often means going without health insurance and watching your savings slowly dwindle, especially if you have family members to support. "
and yet, I am consulting now and have health insurance (which I buy myself not through any work plan) and am saving money. It can be done.

" And many of those people are STILL having to go to food banks at the end of the month."
Then they racked up too much debt or are still trying to live beyond their means... I've made it on minimum wage before... it sucks but you can do it.

"If the above is a joke, it's not a very funny one. "
it is, but only partially. You CAN live off the land (people did it during the great depression)... AND multivitamins are not very expensive if you get your food for free (getting all the protein you need is harder from pills, but then, the I'm all for thinning out the squirrel population).