I think the true number of hungry mouths is fewer than some people think. In one of my classes we talked about "food insecurity" among various populations in the US and it seemed surprisingly high. Upon investigating the actual survey questions giving to families it involved questions like "Have you ever wanted something at the grocery store but been unable to purchase it?" Well to everyone that probably should be the case, because we all can't eat T-bones and lobster every night. My point is that I think TRUE food insecurity is unfortunate and I support programs like SNAP or WIC wholeheartedly to help these people. I don't support the taking advantage of it.
Along those same lines, it's easy to criticize conservatives for being insufferably greedy and selfish, but I think if we lowered our weapons for a second a little understanding could show that isn't the case. I live in a small, very conservative town. And to yours/guylewis' surprise people here are very altruistic. Leaders of my church are constantly meeting with families/individuals in their area (religious or not) to help them when they are out of work, injured, sick, or just plain hungry. It is very common to see people handing money to pan handlers outside of grocery stores, by the freeway, etc. I could go on with more examples, but my point is I think the problem with politics is both sides tend to paint a picture of the other that just isn't realistic. As a conservative/libertarian, I am fine with helping people in need. It's one of the greatest feelings in the world. What takes away from that is the feeling of being coerced into it by a 3rd party. Like I said, I fully support programs like SNAP, but it hurts to see them being taken advantage of because I feel like my wife and I sacrifice a lot and try very hard to live within our means (for example I got my first smart phone just a few months ago). Hopefully this helps bridge the gap a little to show where I'm coming from based on my life experiences, just as I'm sure you have yours.
It's clear I'm not going to change anyone's mind by saying any of this, but hopefully a little mutual understanding will help you and some of the others see that the picture being painted is often not as extreme as it seems. Altruism is not dead among people without government coercion.