IRP Poverty Dispatch » Food and Nutrition

Food Security and Poverty in the US

townsend — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:03:22 +0000

Half of U.S. children will use food stamps, study finds, By Alfred Lubrano, November 18, 2009, Philadelphia Inquirer: “In a stark and surprising finding, about half the children in the United States will be on food stamps at some point during their childhood, a new study of 29 years of data shows. One in three white children and 90 percent of all black children - ages 1 through 20 - will use the program, according to the research, published this month in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. ‘This means Americans’ economic distress is much higher than we had ever realized,’ said Thomas A. Hirschl, a sociology professor at Cornell University and a coauthor of the study with Mark R. Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis. The survey finds that continued food-stamp usage signifies a kind of poverty that is ‘a threat to the overall health and well-being of American children, and, as such, represents a significant challenge to pediatricians in their daily practice.’ The persistent poverty described in the survey dovetails with the findings of a U.S. Department of Agriculture study released Monday. It determined that 49 million Americans - 17 million of them children - were unable to consistently get enough food to eat in 2008. Nearly 15 percent of households were having trouble finding food, the highest number recorded since the agency began measuring hunger in 1995…”
Hunger in the United States, Editorial, November 17, 2009, New York Times: “Congress should make a priority of expanding federal nutrition programs that are aimed at helping millions of struggling families feed their children. The need to bolster these programs was underscored again this week in a dismaying Department of Agriculture study showing that a record number of households had trouble getting sufficient food at one time or another last year…”

Report: Food Security in the US

townsend — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 22:22:16 +0000

USDA: Hunger rises in U.S., By Alfred Lubrano, November 17, 2009, Philadelphia Inquirer: “America is hungry and getting hungrier, with 49 million people - 17 million of them children - last year unable to consistently get enough food to eat, according to a report released yesterday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. These figures represent 14.6 percent of all households, a 3.5-percentage-point jump over 2007, and they are the largest recorded since the agency began measuring hunger in 1995. Of those 49 million, 12 million adults and 5.2 million children reported experiencing the country’s most severe hunger, possibly going days without eating. Among the children, nearly half a million in the developmentally critical years under age 6 were going hungry. That’s three times the number in 2006. The study documented both ‘low food security,’ which describes people unable to consistently get enough to eat, and ‘very low food security,’ in which people reported being hungry various times over the year but were unable to eat because there wasn’t enough money for food. The South reported the highest number of households in both categories, at 15.9 percent, followed by the West at 14.5 percent, the Midwest at 14 percent, and the Northeast at 12.8 percent…”
Hungry U.S. households increased about 30% last year, By Tony Pugh, November 16, 2009, Cleveland Plain Dealer: “The number of U.S. households that are struggling to feed their members jumped by 4 million to 17 million last year, as recession-driven job losses and increased poverty and unemployment fueled a surge in hunger, a government survey reported Monday. These ‘food insecure’ households represent about 49 million people and make up 14.6 percent, or more than one in seven, of all U.S. households. That’s the highest rate since the U.S. Department of Agriculture began monitoring the issue in 1995. Additionally, more than one-third of these struggling families — some 6.7 million households, or 17.2 million people last year — had ‘very low food security,’ in which food intake was reduced and eating patterns were disrupted for some family members because of a lack of food…”

Report: Food Security in the US

townsend — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 22:02:56 +0000

Report: More Americans going hungry, By Amy Goldstein, November 16, 2009, Washington Post: “The number of Americans who lack dependable access to adequate food shot up last year to 49 million, the largest number since the government has been keeping track, according to a federal report released Monday that shows particularly steep increases in food scarcity among families with children. In 2008, the report found, nearly 17 million children — more than one in five across the United States — were living in households in which food at times ran short, up from slightly more than 12 million youngsters the year before. And the number of children who sometimes were outright hungry rose from nearly 700,000 to almost 1.1 million…”
Hunger in U.S. at a 14-year high, By Jason DeParle, November 16, 2009, New York Times: “The number of Americans who lived in households that lacked consistent access to adequate food soared last year, to 49 million, the highest since the government began tracking what it calls ‘food insecurity’ 14 years ago, the Department of Agriculture reported Monday. The increase, of 13 million Americans, was much larger than even the most pessimistic observers of hunger trends had expected and cast an alarming light on the daily hardships caused by the recession’s punishing effect on jobs and wages. About a third of these struggling households had what the researchers called ‘very low food security,’ meaning lack of money forced members to skip meals, cut portions or otherwise forgo food at some point in the year…”
More U.S. households report food shortages, By Scott Kilman, November 16, 2009, Wall Street Journal: “The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Monday that 17 million U.S. households experienced some sort of food shortage in 2008, up 31% from 13 million households in 2007. In 2008, a year marked by rising food costs and recession, the prevalence of ‘food insecurity’ in the U.S. soared to the highest levels in the history of the USDA’s national annual survey, which began in 1995. According to the survey, 14.6% of U.S. households experienced food insecurity at least some time during 2008, up from the 11.1% of U.S. households in 2007 that fell into the USDA’s definition of food insecure…”

Food Stamp Participation and Eligibility - Rhode Island, Texas

townsend — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:34:40 +0000

Food stamp participation hits 11% in R.I., By Ted Nesi, November 13, 2009, Providence Business News: “More than 11 percent of Rhode Island residents were receiving food stamps in August, according to new government figures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture said 116,252 Rhode Island residents were participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in August. (Congress renamed the food stamp program last year.) That was up from 88,423 a year earlier. Rhode Island tied with Florida and Pennsylvania for the fifth-highest monthly increases in food stamp enrollment, with participation rising 3.1 percent in all three states between July and August. Connecticut was highest with a 4.7 percent increase…”
Texas eases rule requiring six-month reviews of food-stamp eligibility, By Robert T. Garrett, November 11, 2009, Dallas Morning News: “Texas is easing a requirement that most families on food stamps must be interviewed every six months, a step that will relieve pressure on the system for determining who receives state aid, officials said Tuesday. The state Health and Human Services Commission also has reassigned about 140 veteran eligibility workers in Dallas and Houston to join front-line workers in taking applications and renewals. That should reduce applicants’ wait times, officials say…”

Child Hunger and Malnutrition

townsend — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:26:48 +0000

Poor nutrition ’stunting growth’, By Nick Triggle, November 11, 2009, BBC News: “Poor child nutrition still causes major problems in the developing world - despite some progress, experts say. A third of deaths in children under five in those countries are linked to poor diet, a report by Unicef suggests. It also reveals 195m children - one in three - have stunted growth, even though rates have fallen since 1990. Unicef said the number of underweight children also remained high, with many countries struggling to hit official targets to halve the figures. An estimated 129m children are underweight…”
200 million children under age 5 are starving, By Ariel David and Maria Cheng (AP), November 12, 2009, Halifax Chronicle Herald: “Nearly 200 million children in poor countries have stunted growth because of insufficient nutrition, according to a new report published by UNICEF Wednesday before a three-day international summit on the problem of world hunger. The head of a UN food agency called on the world to join him in a day of fasting ahead of the summit to highlight the plight of a billion hungry people. Jacques Diouf, director-general of the Food and Agriculture Organization, said he hoped the fast would encourage action by world leaders who will take part in the meeting at his agency’s headquarters starting Monday. The UN Children’s Fund published a report saying that nearly 200 million children under five in poor countries were stunted by a lack of nutrients in their food…”

Children and Food Stamp Enrollment

townsend — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:47:15 +0000

Recession bites the poor, By Jazmine Ulloa, November 7, 2009, Brownsville Herald: “At least ‘from a technical perspective,’ as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said in September, some economists believe the recession is very likely over. But a study released this week emphasized high levels of poverty among children in the United States - a problem that has long been pervasive in the country, even during positive economic times, public policy analysts say. The study in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine found that nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youth will be on food stamps at some point in childhood, and the most recent recession could push the numbers up. The findings come from an analysis of 30 years of national data in a time span of economic highs and lows, including the early 1980s recession…”
Food stamps: a canary in the coal mine?, By Douglas C. Lyons, November 7, 2009, South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “It’s an eye-popping statistic, no matter how you cut it: 90 percent of all black youngsters in the United States will be on food stamps at some point of their childhood. The statistic comes from a Washington University in St. Louis study and published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. Its author, Mark Rank, was quoted as saying the study ‘… shows that the period of childhood, rather than a period of safety and security, is really a time, for a lot of kids, of economic turmoil and risk…’”

Food Stamp Application Process - Texas

townsend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:10:38 +0000

Food stamp woes grow with need, By Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, November 5, 2009, San Antonio Express-News: “Despite efforts to improve the system, food stamp applicants continue to face long delays in assistance amid a recession-fueled surge in demand. In Bexar County, the state processed 22,463 more applications from March to September than it did in 2008. More than 210,000 people received $26 million in food stamps in October in the county, with the average family getting $322 a month. In the vast majority of households receiving food assistance - 82 percent - at least one person is employed. Many have had to wait six months for their first food stamps…”
Food stamp workers share frustrations, By Corrie MacLaggan, November 5, 2009, Austin American-Statesman: “When the new head of the agency responsible for the state’s backlogged food stamp applications sent an e-mail to employees asking for feedback about the agency, he got it. About 500 state workers replied to Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs, telling him about low morale and low pay, poor management, technology problems, insufficient training, long hours away from their families. They wrote about feeling frazzled, crying on the drive to work and actively looking for other jobs…”

Medicaid and Food Stamp Applications - Wisconsin

townsend — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:37:21 +0000

Wisconsin failing to approve Medicaid and food stamps applications in timely manner, By Jason Stein, November 2, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal: “Socked by tens of thousands of childless adults applying for a new state health plan, Wisconsin is failing to meet requirements in federal law for timely approvals of applications for both the Medicaid health coverage and food stamps. Since June 15, more than two-thirds of childless applicants with virtually no income - the highest priority cases - haven’t received food stamps within the federally required seven days, state figures show. Nearly two-thirds of all the childless adults seeking food stamps haven’t received them within the required 30 days. The same process is used to check whether applicants are eligible for both Medicaid and the federal FoodShare, or food stamps, program. Officials from the state Department of Health Services met Monday with federal officials to brief them on the delays and said they would seek to resolve the most pressing backlogged food stamp cases by the end of this week…”

Children and Food Stamp Enrollment

townsend — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:16:02 +0000

Half of US kids will get food stamps, study says, By Lindsey Tanner (AP), November 2, 2009, Chicago Tribune: “Nearly half of all U.S. children and 90 percent of black youngsters will be on food stamps at some point during childhood, and fallout from the current recession could push those numbers even higher, researchers say. The estimate comes from an analysis of 30 years of national data, and it bolsters other recent evidence on the pervasiveness of youngsters at economic risk. It suggests that almost everyone knows a family who has received food stamps, or will in the future, said lead author Mark Rank, a sociologist at Washington University in St. Louis. ‘Your neighbor may be using some of these programs but it’s not the kind of thing people want to talk about,’ Rank said. The analysis was released Monday in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The authors say it’s a medical issue pediatricians need to be aware of because children on food stamps are at risk for malnutrition and other ills linked with poverty…”

Food Stamp Application Process - Texas, Indiana

townsend — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:02:41 +0000

Food stamp workers work longer hours and get less training, By Corrie MacLaggan, October 29, 2009, Austin American-Statesman: “As Texas begins hiring hundreds of food stamp workers to help erase an application backlog that has left families waiting months for aid, no one expects the problems to disappear any time soon. The new state workers are entering a system in crisis. They’ll have far fewer experienced colleagues than they would have five years ago. Training is shorter. Mentoring has mostly fallen by the wayside. And employees are working an average of 13 hours of overtime per week - which, in some cases, is mandatory…”
Judge orders Indiana to improve Food Stamps processing, By Ken Kusmer (AP), October 28, 2009, Louisville Courier-Journal: “A federal judge has ordered Indiana’s partially privatized welfare intake system to speed up decisions on food stamp applications, but the state has a year to meet its first target. U.S. District Judge Robert Miller issued a preliminary injunction last week in a class-action lawsuit covering every food stamp applicant in Indiana over the past 19 months. The order represents the latest setback to one of nation’s most ambitious welfare privatization efforts and came just days after Gov. Mitch Daniels fired vendor IBM Corp. from its $1.34 billion contract to lead the project…”

Increasing Need for Assistance - Delaware, North Dakota

townsend — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:58:30 +0000

More people turn to state to fill basic need: food, By Angie Basiouny, November 2, 2009, Wilmington News Journal: “The number of Delawareans receiving food stamps has jumped by 27.5 percent in the past year, another sign of a recession cutting deeper into household budgets for the most basic of necessities. A total of 98,346 residents — 1 in 9 Delawareans — were enrolled in the food assistance program as of July. Officials said they expect that number to shoot up another 40 percent in the coming year as severance packages offered by many of the state’s biggest employers to laid-off workers expire…”
Grand Forks County Social Services sees 30 percent spike in assistance, By Kevin Bonham, November 1, 2009, Grand Forks Herald: “North Dakota might not be feeling the full effects of the economic recession that has crippled the nation over the past year or so, but local taxpayers are feeling the pain. Some symptoms are surfacing in the Grand Forks County Social Services Department. The total number of households in Grand Forks County receiving some type of assistance has increased by nearly 30 percent in just two years. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, represents the largest increase, with the number of households growing by 35 percent since 2007. In October 2009, 5,677 residents were receiving SNAP benefits. That’s about 8.5 percent of the county’s population, which the U.S. Census Bureau estimated at 66,585 in 2008…”

Drought and Food Aid - Ethiopia

townsend — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:57:41 +0000

Ethiopia appeals for international aid 25 years on, By Tom Pettifor, October 23, 2009, The Mirror: “It’s been a quarter of a century since the Ethiopian famine which shocked the world - and history could be about to repeat itself. The government of Ethiopia, a country in the grip of a five-year drought, yesterday asked the international community for emergency aid to feed 6.2 million. The request came at a meeting of donors to discuss the impact of the drought, affecting parts of East Africa. The UN’s World Food Programme said £173million will be needed in the next six months and some aid officials say the numbers of hungry could rise. But an Oxfam report to mark the 25th anniversary of the 1984 famine - Band Aids and Beyond - warns that drought will be the norm there for the next 25 years. And it called for a new approach to tackling the risk of disaster in the country…”
Is U.S. food aid contributing to Africa’s hunger?, By Dana Hughes, October 29, 2009, ABC News: “Drought-stricken Ethiopia is pleading for food aid again to stave off starvation, but some critics are complaining that the policies of the country’s most generous donor, the United States, is exacerbating the cycle of starvation. A hungry Ethiopia gets 70 percent of its aid from the U.S., but according to a new report by the aid organization Oxfam International, that help comes at a cost. U.S. law requires that food aid money be spent on food grown in the U.S., at least half of it must be packed in the U.S. and most of it must be transported in U.S. ships. The Oxfam report, ‘Band Aids and Beyond,’ claims that is far more expensive and time consuming than buying food in the region…”
Oxfam says Band-Aids insufficient, By Peter Goodspeed, October 23, 2009, National Post: “Twenty-five years after Ethiopia suffered a staggering famine that killed more than one million people, the world has done little to prevent a recurrence of the tragedy. A new report by the international aid group Oxfam claims ‘the humanitarian response to drought and other disasters is still dominated by ‘Band-Aids,’ ‘ instead of finding ways to reduce the risks of recurring crisis…”

Food Stamp Program and Large Retailers

townsend — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:15:48 +0000

More and more warehouse clubs accept food stamps, By Sarah Skidmore and Dan Sewell (AP), October 28, 2009, Idado Statesman: “With many families suddenly struggling to feed themselves, the big warehouse clubs known for king-size packages of steak and jumbo boxes of Cheerios are increasingly competing with grocery stores for the 36 million Americans now on food stamps. Costco Wholesale Corp. said Wednesday that it would start accepting food stamps at its warehouse clubs nationwide after testing them at stores in New York. That is a big about-face for a chain that has catered to the bargain-hunting affluent with its gourmet foods, and a reflection of the fact food-stamp use has hit new highs. Costco joins warehouse-club competitor BJ’s Wholesale Corp., which started taking food stamps last April, and Sam’s Club, which began accepting them in the fall of 2008. Up until recently, some wholesale clubs were skeptical poor people would be willing to pay the $50-a-year membership fee or would be interested in buying food in the bulk quantities for which the stores are famous…”

Reports on World Hunger

townsend — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:33:45 +0000

Global hunger worsening, warns UN, October 14, 2009, BBC News: “Targets to cut the number of hungry people in the world will not be met without greater international effort, UN food agencies have warned. The UN’s annual report on global food security confirms that more than one billion people - a sixth of the world’s population - are undernourished. It says the number of hungry people was growing before the economic crisis, which has made the situation worse. The report comes ahead of World Food Day on Friday…”
Feeding the world in years to come, By Nancy Greenleese, October 15, 2009, Deutche Welle: “By the year 2050, world population is likely to soar by more than 30 percent mainly in the developing world. There will be more mouths to feed but fewer farmers to grow the crops due to a mass exodus to urban areas. Those farmers are facing a bounty harvest of challenges: climate change, disappearing natural resources, spikes in food and energy prices. Putting foods in bowls, banana leafs or tin cups will therefore require ingenuity and support. As part of that quest, experts gathered in Rome earlier this week to brainstorm ways to feed the world in the next four decades…”
UN: Record 1 billion go hungry, By Ariel David (AP), October 14, 2009, New York Times: “Parents in some of Africa’s poorest countries are cutting back on school, clothes and basic medical care just to give their children a meal once a day, experts say. Still, it is not enough. A record 1 billion people worldwide are hungry and a new report says the number will increase if governments do not spend more on agriculture. According to the U.N. food agency, which issued the report, 30 countries now require emergency aid, including 20 in Africa. The trend continues despite a goal set by world leaders nine years ago to cut the number of hungry people in half by 2015…”

Neighborhoods and Access to Groceries - Los Angeles, CA

townsend — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:30:04 +0000

Inner-city L.A. hungers for good grocery stores, By Daniel B. Wood, October 10, 2009, Christian Science Monitor: “East L.A. resident Olga Perez has to take two buses to a store about eight miles away to get fresh fruits and vegetables, or decent cuts of meat, for her family. ‘The only thing I can get at my corner store are spoiled or expired,’ explains Ms. Perez, a dental assistant and single mother who lives in a two-bedroom apartment with two daughters and a granddaughter. The round trip costs her $5 and limits what she can carry home. ‘I can only get so much milk and when I get home the eggs are cracked and the bread is smashed,’ she says. And because she works until 6:30 p.m. most nights, Perez doesn’t often have the time to make the trip and get home in time to cook for her family. Her solution: ‘Open a can of ravioli or make hot dogs,’ but that sometimes keeps her daughter and granddaughter up at night, complaining of insomnia and stomach aches. It’s a situation the Alliance for Healthy and Responsible Grocery Stores, a city-wide coalition of 25 community, faith-based and environmental organizations, is trying to change. They formed a Blue Ribbon Commission in early 2007 to address the chronic absence of quality grocery stores in several L.A. neighborhoods including East L.A. and South Central - and are now trying to draw such stores to these underserved areas…”

Food Stamp Application Process - Texas

townsend — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:41:10 +0000

Wait for food stamps rises as more people seek assistance, By Celinda Emison, October 8, 2009, Abilene Reporter News: “When Mary Ranjer, a working mother of six, applied for food assistance in June, she had to wait until mid-August to receive the help. Ranjer and her husband both work, but tough economic times have forced them to apply for food stamps. The Ranjers are among a growing number of Abilenians who have had to apply for and wait for help. ‘It has really taken a long time,’ said Ranjer, 37, who was waiting in line Thursday at the Department of Health and Human Services office. ‘I have to take my day off to take care of this.’ Taylor County has experienced an 8 percent increase in the number of individuals receiving food stamps over the past year. There are 15,903 individuals who are receiving benefits through the SNAP program, an increase from last year when 14,674 individuals were being served…”

State Sales Tax on Food - Utah

townsend — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 21:39:09 +0000

Food sales tax could be completely reinstated, By Arthur Raymond, October 9, 2009, Deseret News: “It may be coming back. A state sales tax on food that’s been incrementally decreased for the past two years - and widely viewed as one that unfairly targets low-income families - could be under consideration for a complete reinstatement in the face of ongoing, large-scale revenue losses. Members of the Utah Tax Review Commission heard testimony Thursday from advocates of the disadvantaged, grocery industry representatives, tax watchdogs and a state legislator who sponsored a failed attempt at increasing the food tax last session. This time, however, the idea may find some traction under the cloud of an upcoming state budget shortfall currently being estimated at $700 million…”

2010 Agriculture Spending Bill

townsend — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:00:46 +0000

Bill increases funds for food stamps, nutrition, By Jim Abrams (AP), October 7, 2009, Chicago Tribune: “Nutrition, food stamp and dairy aid programs were among the winners as the House on Wednesday approved a $121 billion agriculture spending bill for the 2010 budget year. Reflecting the growing number of people scrambling to get by in tough economic times, the bill provides $58.2 billion for the food stamp program, a jump of $4.3 billion from last year. Similarly, the federal nutrition program for women, infants and children receives $7.3 billion, up $400 million from 2009 nonemergency levels. Aid to school and child care nutrition programs goes up $1.9 billion to $16.9 billion…”

Food Stamp Application Process - Texas

townsend — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:19:36 +0000

Federal officials: Texas needs food stamp czar, By Corrie MacLaggan, October 6, 2009, Austin-American Statesman: “Federal officials say Texas should appoint a food stamp czar to take charge of fixing the application backlogs and high error rates plaguing the program. ‘All states are feeling the pinch right now because of the economic recession, but I’m not aware of any state that is having it to the degree that Texas is,’ said William Ludwig, a Dallas-based regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. Ludwig, who rarely gives interviews, oversees food stamps for Texas and four other states. He attributed the state’s problems last week to a “whole series of missteps, mismanagement over the last four years,” starting with thousands of state workers getting pink slips in advance of a massive privatization effort…”
Too many Texans are waiting too long for food stamps, Editorial, October 7, 2009, Austin American-Statesman: “It is scandalous that Texas is letting so many of its residents go hungry when the resources exist to feed them. But those resources - food stamps - are being processed at a snail’s pace because the state has not been able to get its act together. Texans deserve a better, more compassionate solution than state leaders have proposed so far. The massive backlog that has left low-income families hungry and waiting for weeks and months for government food assistance has reached a critical level. In September 2009, Texas processed 58.6 percent of new applications on time…”

Food Stamp Application Process and Fingerprinting - Texas

townsend — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:24:16 +0000

A food stamp fingerprint feud, By Corrie MacLaggan, October 2, 2009, Austin American-Statesman: “The federal agency that oversees food stamps wants Texas to stop fingerprinting applicants as a way to save resources and speed up what the agency says is an unacceptably slow application system. But because state law requires the fingerprinting, the Health and Human Services Commission finds itself caught between what the Legislature mandates and what federal officials want. ‘One of the things I think Texas needs to do is streamline their operations,’ said William Ludwig, a regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Service. ‘Finger imaging is very time-consuming.’ Texas is one of four states with such a requirement, which supporters - including Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst - say is an important way to prevent people from collecting benefits under more than one name. Critics have said it’s invasive and a waste of money and seeks to solve a problem that doesn’t exist…”

Poor Neighborhoods and Access to Groceries - New York City

townsend — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 16:41:50 +0000

A plan to add supermarkets to poor areas, with healthy results, By Diane Cardwell, September 23, 2009, New York Times: “The Bloomberg administration, in its ever-expanding campaign to make New Yorkers eat better, has already clamped down on trans fats, deployed fruit vendors to produce-poor neighborhoods and prodded corner bodegas to sell leafy green vegetables and low-fat milk. Now, in a city known more for hot dogs and egg creams than the apple of its nickname, officials want to establish an even bigger beachhead for healthy food - new supermarkets in areas where fresh produce is scarce and where poverty, obesity and diabetes run high. Under a proposal the City Planning Commission unanimously approved on Wednesday, the city would offer zoning and tax incentives to spur the development of full-service grocery stores that devote a certain amount of space to fresh produce, meats, dairy and other perishables…”

Food Stamp Program Enrollment

townsend — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:17:57 +0000

Backlog, processing errors bedevil food stamp program, By Corrie MacLaggan, September 24, 2009, Austin American-Statesman: “Tens of thousands of Texas families are waiting as long as several months for food stamps as a surge in applications lands on an already strained system. And when state workers do process the applications, they often do it wrong. One out of every six food stamp applications is incorrectly processed by state workers, according to state data. In some cases, that means eligible families are being denied benefits. That error rate has skyrocketed since 2004, rising from 2.8 percent to 21.4 percent last year. For the first half of this year, the error rate fell to 17.4 percent. This comes as Texas is struggling with a food stamp application backlog, failing to process more than a third of applications within the 30 days required by the federal government…”
More residents using food stamps, By Michelle Saxton, September 24, 2009, Charleston Daily Mail: “About 37,000 more West Virginians were using food stamps this summer than last year, reflecting a historic high nationally in the number of people who need help paying for food. Across the country, more people are using food stamps - and getting more in benefits - due in part to the struggling economy and a financial boost from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, nutrition service officials say. About 35.1 million Americans received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits this past June, up about 22 percent from 28.7 million in June 2008, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Nutrition Service spokeswoman Jean Daniel. For West Virginia, those figures were 315,938 individual participants in June, up from 278,713 in June 2008, Daniel said…”

Free and Reduced-price Lunch Program - Wisconsin, Florida

townsend — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 21:06:08 +0000

State faces explosion of schoolkids qualified for subsidized meals, By Jacob Kushner and Kryssy Pease, September 20, 2009, Wisconsin State Journal: “Nearly four in 10 Wisconsin elementary students qualified for free or reduced-price lunch last school year, and the proportion of such students has climbed every year of this decade, according to state Department of Public Instruction data analyzed by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. The center found the proportion of Wisconsin elementary students eligible for subsidized lunches hit 37.6 percent last year, compared with 30.3 percent in 2000…”
Green Bay district gains most low-income elementary students in state, By Kelly McBride, September 20, 2009, Green Bay Press-Gazette: “The Green Bay School District has gained more low-income elementary school students than any other district in the state since 2000, a new analysis shows. The district’s low-income population grew by 2,398 elementary school students during that time, more than the Milwaukee, Madison or Kenosha school districts, according to a report released today by the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that produces regular investigative projects…”
Economic downturn reflected at Southwest Florida schools, By Christopher O’Donnell, September 21, 2009, Sarasota Herald-Tribune: “Hit hard by layoffs and paycuts, more Florida families than ever are turning to federal aid to feed their children at school. Even in Southwest Florida, long seen as an area of affluence, the number of children qualifying for the federal government’s free or reduced lunch program has risen sharply this year. For the first time, more than half of Manatee County students — some 22,000 children — meet income guidelines that qualify them for government assistance…”

Application Process for Food Stamp Program - Texas

townsend — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 21:33:59 +0000

Flood of food stamp requests drains agency, By Gary Scharrer, September 6, 2009, Houston Chronicle: “State employees can’t keep up with applications for food assistance, and the inadequate staffing to handle the casework is making them frustrated and stressed out, some say. Morale is lousy at the agency that manages the program. Many work long hours, but the cases keep stacking up. The conditions are blamed for high absentee rates and employee turnover. Some welcome a recent class-action lawsuit that accuses the state of violating federal rules requiring food stamp applications to be certified within 30 days. Many applicants must wait months before they get food assistance…”
Employee turnover high at Texas agency that processes food-stamp applications, Associated Press, September 7, 2009, Dallas Morning News: “Employee turnover is running at 16 percent this year at the overwhelmed Texas public benefits agency responsible for processing food-stamp applications. The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has seen a huge increase in food-stamp applications this year…”

Free and Reduced-price Lunch Program - Mississippi

townsend — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 20:33:35 +0000

Free lunch common in some Miss. schools, By Gary Pettus, September 5, 2009, Clarion-Ledger: “In Holmes County, where the poverty rate is three times higher than the country’s, Patricia Jenkins’ children get a free weekday lunch for at least nine months of the year. In fact, practically every one of the 3,300 other students in the Holmes County School District qualifies for the free midday meal, as well as for free breakfasts. ‘For me, being a single parent who’s out of work, the meal program is a big help,’ said Jenkins, 42, of Goodman, who has three children in school, ‘but it’s also a big help for parents who are working and still can’t afford these lunches.’ Based on family income, about 58 percent of Mississippi’s 491,000-plus public-school children qualified for a free lunch during the 2008-09 school year, compared with 46 percent for private-school students…”

Retailers Accepting Food Stamps

townsend — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:59:05 +0000

More stores are accepting food stamps, By Kristen Mack, September 8, 2009, Chicago Tribune: “Joanna Gugudan hesitated as she picked a box of brownies off the shelf at Aldi. ‘I can’t believe I can buy this,’ she recalled thinking during her first grocery shopping trip in a month. Her family had been relying on food pantry rations. But this time, she swiped her electric-blue Illinois Link food stamp card to cover the $74.50 tab. Gugudan is among a record number of consumers relying on government aid to pay for groceries because of the economic downturn. And that flood of participants has persuaded retailers who never before accepted food stamps to join the program. More than 35.1 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 22 percent over June 2008, according to data released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It was the seventh straight month that participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program increased. The trend also is reflected in Illinois, where 17.6 percent more households received assistance in July compared with a year ago, the Illinois Department of Human Services said…”

Food Stamp Program and Nutrition - Tennessee

townsend — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 21:36:00 +0000

Tennessee food stamps, waistlines expand, By Christina E. Sanchez, August 30, 2009, The Tennessean: “More Tennesseans are receiving food stamps than ever before - nearly one in six - and the numbers are only expected to increase. But as the food stamp program expands, so too may the waistlines of the people who use the benefit to put food on the table, according to a recent study. Researchers at Ohio State University found that people who used food stamps were more likely to be obese. Women on average were about 6 pounds heavier than women who did not get food aid. They tracked 10,000 people, both on and not on food stamps, over 14 years and found that poverty, lack of access to healthy foods, and nutritional education of people on food stamps contributed to the obesity rates…”

Climate Change and Hunger - Nepal

townsend — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:20:45 +0000

Millions in Nepal facing hunger as climate changes, By Binaj Gurubacharya (AP), August 28, 2009, Bradenton Herald: ” Millions of people in Nepal face severe food shortages because global climate change has disrupted weather patterns and slashed crop yields in the Himalayan nation, an international aid agency warned Friday. Changing weather patterns have dramatically affected crop production in Nepal, leaving farmers unable to properly feed themselves and pushing them into debt, Oxfam International said in a report released in Katmandu…”

Child Hunger and Malnutrition in Guatemala

townsend — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:17:29 +0000

A national shame, August 27, 2009, The Economist: “It is hardly one of Latin America’s poorest countries, but according to Unicef almost half of Guatemala’s children are chronically malnourished-the sixth-worst performance in the world. In parts of rural Guatemala, where the population is overwhelmingly of Mayan descent, the incidence of child malnutrition reaches 80%. A diet of little more than tortillas does permanent damage. This chronic problem has become acute. Higher world prices for food have coincided with a recession-induced fall in money sent back from Guatemalans working in the United States (remittances equal 12% of Guatemala’s GDP). Drought in eastern Guatemala has made things worse still. Many families can scarcely afford beans, an important source of protein, and must sell eggs from their hens rather than feed them to their children…”
Hungry in Guatemala, By Samuel Loewenberg, August 26, 2009, The Atlantic: “At the G8 meeting in Italy last month, the world’s richest countries agreed to devote $20 billion to food security and agricultural development. President Barack Obama declared that the ‘purpose of aid must be to create the conditions where it’s no longer needed, to help people become self-sufficient, provide for their families and lift their standards of living.’ The initiative was primarily spurred by concerns about the effects on struggling populations of global warming and the economic downturn. But it is also perhaps a reflection of Obama’s stated intent to put a greater emphasis on what his administration calls ’smart power’ - diplomacy and development, as opposed to primarily defense - in his approach to foreign policy. Here’s an unlikely candidate to be the poster child for the new program: Guatemala. The Central American nation has the sixth-worst rate of chronic malnutrition in the world, despite being what might be described as a relatively well-off lower-middle class country…”

Access to Fresh Food and Produce - Detroit, MI

townsend — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:03:42 +0000

State seeds fresh food delivery in Detroit, By Kimberly Hayes Taylor, August 22, 2009, Detroit News: “Imani Abba got choked up Friday as she purchased fruits and vegetables from a delivery truck. ‘We don’t have to go to the liquor stores and get dried-up vegetables,’ said the 54-year-old Detroiter, while taking strawberries, bananas and grapes her excited daughters, granddaughters and great-granddaughter handed off. ‘For a long time, people around here didn’t have fresh food, and there are children around here that just know food from cans.’ The MI (pronounced “my”) Neighborhood Food Movers, a fresh food delivery program that officially launches Tuesday, is designed to change that for some Detroit residents. Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s office has invested $75,000 in seed money for the pilot program, which they plan to develop into a larger initiative that will include urban gardens, more delivery services, cooking classes and other programs…”

Increasing Need for Food Assistance - Alabama

townsend — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:45:01 +0000

Food assistance participants increasing, By Russ Corey and Tom Smith, August 23, 2009, Florence Times Daily: “Jenny Kerbs said she doesn’t know how her family would make ends meet without the aid of the Food Assistance Program. ‘I still have to spend extra money, but just on milk and bread,’ she said. ‘I get all my meats and canned vegetables with my food stamps.’ Kerbs receives $163 per month on her electronic benefit transfer card to help offset the expenses of buying groceries for her family. The card is also referred to as EBT. The average monthly benefit for qualified families in the state is $128.54, according to the Alabama Department of Human Resources, and Kerbs is one of a growing number of local residents using EBT cards…”

Stimulus Funding for Food Stamp System - Kentucky

townsend — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:10:59 +0000

Food stamp system improved with stimulus funds, By Deborah Yetter, August 18, 2009, Louisville Courier-Journal: “Kentucky will use $2.9 million in federal stimulus money to try to improve service to people applying for food stamps, state officials said. By this fall, the Cabinet for Health and Family Services plans to convert paper files stored in local offices to electronic files state workers will use to complete or renew applications for the federally funded food stamp program…”

Inmate Farming and Food Bank Work-training Programs

townsend — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:09:27 +0000

Inmates grow, gather veggies, make soup for hungry, By Julie Carr Smyth (AP), August 18, 2009, Detroit Free Press: “The nation’s food banks, struggling to meet demand in hard times, are turning to prison inmates for free labor to help feed the hungry. Several states are sending inmates into already harvested fields to scavenge millions of pounds of leftover potatoes, berries and other crops that otherwise would go to waste. Others are using prisoners to plant and harvest vegetables. ‘We’re in a situation where, without their help, the food banks absolutely could not accomplish all that they do,’ said Ross Fraser, a spokesman for Feeding America, a national association of food banks. The number of Americans who couldn’t afford food jumped 30% from December 2007 to December 2008, according to a survey by the group. Demand at some pantries have more than doubled, Fraser said, as job losses and wage cuts have strained family budgets…”

School Lunch Programs

townsend — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 20:04:54 +0000

Stars aligning on school lunches, By Kim Severson, August 18, 2009, New York Times: “Ann Cooper has made a career out of hammering on the poor quality of public school food. The School Nutrition Association, with 55,000 members, represents the people who prepare it. Imagine Ms. Cooper’s surprise when she was invited to the association’s upcoming conference to discuss the Lunch Box, a system she developed to help school districts wean themselves from packaged, heavily processed food and begin cooking mostly local food from scratch…”
N.J. schools bag funds with free lunch, By Ashley Milne-Tyte, August 18, 2009, American Public Media: “New Jersey’s formula now works like this: the state provides about $9,700 to educate each child to meet academic standards. But poor students in poor districts can get an extra $5,000 on top of that. That’s where free lunch comes in…”

Subsidized School Meal Programs

admin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:57:17 +0000

Subsidized school meals might skyrocket this year, By Tony Pugh, August 16, 2009, Modesto Bee: “The number of U.S. students who receive free and reduced-cost meals at school could soar to a 41-year high this school year, as record job losses and high unemployment push thousands more children into poverty, many for the first time. According to projections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at least 18.5 million low-income students are expected to participate in the National School Lunch Program each day during the 2009-10 school year. More than 8.5 million are expected to take advantage of the federal School Breakfast Program. Both projections are about the same as the record participation levels that each program set last year. If rising family homelessness and steady growth in the food stamp program are any indication, however, enrollment in both student-meal programs could swell well beyond expectations this fall…”

Applications to Food Stamp Program - Texas, Utah

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:24:57 +0000

Texas sued over delay in food stamps, By Gary Scharrer, August 10, 2009, Houston Chronicle: “Rachel Cavazos is getting close to desperate. A pending divorce and no full-time job have left her struggling to feed her four children. She applied for food stamps in April but is still is waiting for approval. ‘It’s very upsetting. It’s very frustrating,’ the 32-year-old Houston woman said. ‘It’s very hurtful, especially when somebody doesn’t give you the benefit of the doubt. The help is not for me. It’s for my babies. I don’t want my children to suffer.’ Cavazos is one of thousands of Texans waiting for food stamps, demand for which has spiked in recent months. The long wait has prompted some advocates to file a class-action lawsuit to try to force Texas to comply with federal regulations requiring that most eligible applicants be certified for food stamps within 30 days…”
Still more Utahns apply for food stamps, By Julia Lyon, August 10, 2009, Salt Lake Tribune: “As the nation’s economy appears to shift into recovery mode, the number of Utah families relying on food stamps continues to break records. As of July, just over 86,000 households were receiving more than $25 million in food stamps, which provide low-income families money for food each month. The number of households increased 3.4 percent between June and July, slightly more than the 3.2 percent growth rate the month before…”

Study: Food Stamp Distribution and Recipients’ Body Weight

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:20:51 +0000

Female food-stamp recipients weigh more, By Steve Bushong, August 12, 2009, Columbus Dispatch: “Women who use food stamps weigh more than those who don’t, and that might have something to do with how the benefits are distributed. Ohio State University researcher Jay Zagorsky recently studied the issue using data from the university’s National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, which has surveyed about 10,000 people periodically since 1979. Zagorsky looked at 4,000 of those people who had received benefits through the U.S. Food Stamp Program at some point over the past 14 years. His research showed that women who used food stamps had a higher body-mass index than those who didn’t by 1.24 points on average. Body-mass index calculates a person’s body fat by using height and weight…”

Free School Meals - England

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:08:49 +0000

More pupils can claim free meals, August 11, 2009, BBC News: “The number of children eligible for free school meals in England has risen by 21,410 - the first annual increase in three years, official figures show. The 2009 school census reveals a rise from 15.5% to 15.9% in primary schools and from 13.1% to 13.4% in secondary. The increase has been blamed on job losses in the recession. This annual profile of the school population also shows that almost one in four primary pupils is now from an ethnic minority. The census, based on school rolls in January, also shows a further increase in the number of pupils with English as a second language…”

Summer Food Programs - Oregon

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:05:03 +0000

A summer of rising hunger in Oregon, By David Sarasohn, August 09, 2009, The Oregonian: “This time last year, John Schrader had been working in a lumber mill for six years and was training to become a millwright. This year, the job is gone, he’s studying metal fabrication and welding in community college, and he’s sitting in the gym at Henry Hill Elementary School as his three sons munch through hamburgers, orange sections and carrot sticks. It’s part of the federal summer food program, aimed at kids who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch during the year, kids who might otherwise face a long hungry summer. In this summer of our discontent, business is booming — at least at the sites still operating, the ones not closed by financial pressures on schools or local organizations…”

Need for Food Assistance - Detroit, MI

admin — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 16:30:41 +0000

Hunger hits Detroit’s middle class, By Steve Hargreaves, August 6, 2009, CNNMoney.com: “On a side street in an old industrial neighborhood, a delivery man stacks a dolly of goods outside a store. Ten feet away stands another man clad in military fatigues, combat boots and what appears to be a flak jacket. He looks straight out of Baghdad. But this isn’t Iraq. It’s southeast Detroit, and he’s there to guard the groceries. ‘No pictures, put the camera down,’ he yells. My companion and I, on a tour of how people in this city are using urban farms to grow their own food, speed off. In this recession-racked town, the lack of food is a serious problem. It’s a theme that comes up again and again in conversations in Detroit. There isn’t a single major chain supermarket in the city, forcing residents to buy food from corner stores. Often less healthy and more expensive food…”

Agriculture Spending Bill and Food Stamp Funding

admin — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 16:46:41 +0000

Senate passes bill to help boost food stamps, By Andrew Taylor (AP), August 5, 2009, Concord Monitor: “The Senate yesterday passed a $124.3 billion agriculture spending bill that pays to add millions of people to the food stamp rolls as rising numbers of the jobless are forced into the program. Money for the federal school lunch program is going up 12 percent as well, while a popular program that gives additional food aid for poor children and pregnant women received a 9 percent increase in funding. The bill passed by a 80-17 vote. As the nation’s unemployment rate nears 10 percent, a record 34.4 million people - or one in nine Americans - were participating in the food stamp program as of May. That’s an increase of 650,000 people from the previous month and up 6 million from the same time last year…”

Hunger and Food Security in Nigeria

admin — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 14:56:09 +0000

Little keeps Nigeria from a crisis of hunger, By David Hecht, August 2, 2009, Washington Post: “The nation blessed with Africa’s largest oil reserves and some of its most fertile lands has a problem. It cannot feed its 140 million people, and relatively minor reductions in rainfall could set off a regional food catastrophe, experts say. Nigeria was a major agricultural exporter before oil was discovered off its coast in the 1970s. But as it developed into the world’s eighth-largest oil producing country, its big farms and plantations were neglected. Today, about 90 percent of Nigeria’s agricultural output comes from inefficient small farms, according to the World Bank, and most farmers have little or no access to fertilizers, irrigation or other modern inputs. Most do not even grow enough food to feed their own families…”

Food Stamp Program Eligibility - Pennsylvania

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:22:58 +0000

Pa. broadens eligibility for food stamps, By Alfred Lubrano, July 31, 2009, Philadelphia Inquirer: “Javina Brown, who makes $9.75 an hour working for Boston Market, applied for food stamps in June but was denied. Her salary was $4 a month too high. As of this week, however, Brown and others like her will be eligible for food stamps. For the first time in nearly 30 years, Pennsylvania has raised the income limit for the program…”

Report: Hunger in India

admin — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:17:28 +0000

Report highlights hunger in India, July 31, 2009, BBC News: “India is emerging as the world centre of hunger and malnutrition, a report by Indian campaign group, the Navdanya Trust, says. The trust says that there are more than 200 million people - or one-in-four Indians - going without enough to eat. The prominent environmentalist Vandana Shiva, who runs the trust, said there were now more hungry people in India than in sub-Saharan Africa…”

Large Retailers Accepting Food Stamps

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:24:17 +0000

More retailers say yes to food stamps, By Jayne O’Donnell and Rachel Huggins, July 28, 2009, USA Today: “More retailers are accepting food stamps, as a record number of consumers are turning to government aid to pay for groceries. Nearly 39 million people received food stamps - now known as Electronic Benefit Transfers - in April 2009, up about 20% over April 2008. Retailers ranging from some Costco (COST) stores - yes, quarts of capers do qualify - to 7-Eleven to Target (TGT) are moving quickly to cater to cash-strapped customers…”

Access to Affordable and Nutritious Foods for Low-income Families

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 19:55:36 +0000

Groceries more costly for Valley’s poor, By Barbara Anderson and Bethany Clough, July 25, 2009, Fresno Bee: “For thousands of people in the central San Joaquin Valley, a tomato costs at least a dollar. So does a single roll of toilet paper. That’s the price of being poor. It’s a well-known but unsolved paradox: Poor people often spend more than their middle-class neighbors for groceries…”
Programs ensure needy have access to fresh foods, By Ingrid Stegemoeller, July 27, 2009, Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “Amid the crowds shopping for produce at the Richland Farmers’ Market, Carolyn Merrell and her mother-in-law Linda Herrera carefully selected corn, tomatoes, onions, cherries and blueberries from the colorful bounty. But rather than handing over cash for their purchases, the West Richland women paid with Women, Infants and Children (WIC) vouchers from the Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program…”

Food Stamps and Military Families

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 15:36:19 +0000

More troops relying on food stamps, Bryan Mitchell, July 22, 2009, Military.com: “Military members and their families are using more food stamps than in previous years - redeeming them last year at nearly twice the civilian rate, according to Defense Commissary Agency figures. The agency reports that more than $31 million worth of food stamps were used at commissaries nationwide in 2008 - an increase of about $6.2 million, or more than 25 percent - from the $24.8 million redeemed in 2007. That contrasts with a 13 percent overall increase in food stamp use by Americans for the same period, according to the Department of Agriculture, which administers the food stamp program…”

Food Stamps and Farmers’ Markets

admin — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:25:03 +0000

Food stamps, now paperless, are getting easier to use at farmers’ markets, By Katie Zezima, July 19, 2009, New York Times: “Natasha Smilansky comes to the farmers’ market here each Thursday because she enjoys ripe tomatoes and cucumbers. Now there is the added benefit of using food stamps for her purchases. ‘It helps me a lot,’ said Ms. Smilansky, 53, who is on disability. ‘I like the freshness of the vegetables here. I spend all year waiting for the market.’ The use of food stamps at farmers’ markets has been authorized for some time. But the program has been limited because the federal government in 2004 replaced the traditional paper food stamp coupons with debit cards that were processed through electronic benefit transfer terminals…”
Food stamp users get fresh food options, By Catherine Jun, July 21, 2009, Detroit News: “On her visits to the local farmers market over the past two years, Denise Hicks, who receives food stamps, could spare only a few dollars for vegetables and a cookie each for her two children. That changed this summer. Starting in June, the Northwest Detroit Farmers Market began accepting Electronic Benefit Transfer cards. On a recent visit, Hicks swiped her card and bought a modest bagful of farm fresh groceries: a seven-grain loaf of bread, reduced-fat hamburgers, salmon, baby cucumbers and organic tomatoes…”

Food Stamp Program - Rhode Island, New York

admin — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 20:15:39 +0000

Facing backlogs, state boosts staff for food stamps, By Paul Davis, July 14, 2009, Providence Journal: Facing a growing backlog of hundreds of food stamp applicants, the state will use federal stimulus money to hire three workers and buy a new telephone system to deal with the problem. Donalda Carlson, associate director of individual and family support services at the Department of Human Services, will also seek permission to hire more workers to help with the surge in applications…”
No-cost error leads to a big penalty, By Jim Dwyer, July 14, 2009, New York Times: “Two months ago, Vanessa Hall got the kind of letter from the state that required several readings to appreciate the depth of its perversity. At first glance, the main point was plain enough: Her food stamp benefit was being cut. The reason also seemed straightforward. A city agency that administers food stamps, the Human Resources Administration, claimed that she had not told the truth about being married…”

Increasing Need for Food Assistance

admin — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 21:11:42 +0000

Food stamp hike helps families cope, By Bonna Johnson, July 13, 2009, The Tennessean: “Slowly cruising the aisles of her favorite grocery store, Rosa Diaz kept an eye out for specials to help her stock up on staples, like fruit juice and packaged snacks for her 2-year-old son. “That’s a decent price,” Diaz said as she placed a couple of large jugs of orange juice, advertised at two for $3, in her shopping cart…”
Turning to food stamps difficult for some, By Louis Llovio, July 12, 2009, Richmond Times-Dispatch: “Tonya was living the American dream. The mother of a 10-year-old daughter, she had a steady job at a property management company while her husband was a sanitation worker for a major company in Richmond. “We were middle class. We were working so hard,” Tonya said last week. She’s relying on food stamps now. It all began to fall apart 10 months ago. Her husband lost his job, then two months later, she lost hers…”