Ignore The Spin: Why Food Stamp Enrollment Isn’t Shrinking (Yet)

Ignore The Spin: Why Food Stamp Enrollment Isn’t Shrinking (Yet): pThe Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as food stamps, expanded rapidly during the Great Recession, when millions of workers lost jobs and entered poverty, forcing them to turn to the government’s social safety net for help. But even as the economy has begun to recover, SNAP “isn’t shrinking back alongside the recovery,” the [...]/p

From ThinkProgress.org

Toney Atkins comments: Many people who are fortunate enough to have good jobs and good paydays often frown upon those who require food stamps to eat. Sometimes, the food purchased with the stamps will only last a few weeks, and recipients and their children have to fight hunger until the next month's allocations. It's sad but true that the carpet can be pulled out from under people who have good jobs and all the conveniences that come with having money in the bank. Lawmakers aren' doing much to create new jobs, so when someone unexpectedly loses a job, money can suddenly be so scarce you cannot afford to pay rent, much less pay for food for yourself or your family. The SNAP program is a lifesaver for many. We can also be grateful for the many churches that have started food giveaways, with help from local merchants and individuals and help many to stock what otherwise might be empty food pantries and kitchen shelves. These programs offer an opportunity for the haves in our society to help the have-nots in their time of crisis. There are a lot of hungry folks out there, and I have been one of them at times in my life. As a retiree, for some reason I only qualify for $16 per month, and you can imagine how long that lasts. Don't frown upon the needy. They may be the ones who help you when you are down and out.