I don't think it was a JW thing, specifically, although in Valemount, BC, there was basically a commune of JWs who took care of one another. One family was expert at mushroom picking, and raised rabbits. My family, and another, were berry and rosehip gatherers, as well as hunters. So we'd trade moose meat for rabbit meat, and berries for mushrooms. Also, the families took care of one another's kids non-discriminately. That was actually pretty darned cool.

But this was also the exception. Every other place I lived, I didn't know any other JWs who lived like us. We were anomalous.

And I certainly knew a lot of people who were much, MUCH poorer. There were kids in some of the places where I lived who lived in cardboard lean-tos in full winter, and who wore rags. I also knew kids who were bullies, and would beat people up for their lunches. They did it because they came from violent households where they were not being fed.